Starting New Churches

Starting New 

Churches 

2nd Edition 

by Larry Pate 

AN INDEPENDENT-STUDY TEXTBOOK 

Developed in Cooperation with 

Global University Staff

Address of the Global University office in your area: 

Developed in cooperation with Global University staff 

School for Evangelism and Discipleship 

Global University 

1211 South Glenstone 

Springfield, MO 65804 

USA 

© 1984, 2010 Global University 

All rights reserved. First edition 1984 

Second edition 2010 

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the Holy Bible, 

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 

International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by 

permission of International Bible Society. 

PN 02.11 

ISBN 978-0-7617-1509-2 

www.globaluniversity.edu 

www.globalreach.org 

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents 

Page 

COURSE INTRODUCTION 5 

UNIT ONE: 

THE MODEL FOR 

CHURCHES 

1 Churches in the New Testament 14 

2 Churches and Their Mission 44 

UNIT TWO: 

THE METHOD FOR 

CHURCHES 

3 Churches That Govern Themselves 72 

4 Churches That Start New Churches 100 

5 Churches That Support Themselves 122 

UNIT THREE: MULTIPLICATION OF 

CHURCHES 

6 Churches Train Leaders 144 

7 Practical Advice on Church Planting 166 

8 A Plan for Multiplication 188 

Reference List 206 

Glossary 208 

Answers to Self-Tests 216 

Unit Student Reports 222 

Answer Sheets 233

4 S t a r t i n g N e w C h u r c h e s 

The GU Christian Service Program 

This is one of 18 courses (subjects) that make up 

the GU Christian Service Program. The symbol at 

the left is a guide for the order of study in the series, 

which is divided into three units of six courses each. 

Starting New Churches is Course 4 in Unit II. You will benefit 

greater by studying the courses in the proper order. 

U N I T 

II 

4 

C O U R S E 

Study materials in the Christian Service Program have been 

prepared in a self-teaching format especially for Christian 

workers. These courses provide a student with Bible knowledge 

and skills needed for practical Christian service. You may study 

this course in order to receive credit toward a certificate, or for 

personal enrichment. 

ATTENTION 

Please read the course introduction very carefully. It is 

important that you follow these instructions so you can achieve 

the goals of the course, and be prepared for the student reports. 

Address all correspondence concerning the course to your 

GU instructor at the address stamped on the copyright page 

near the front of the study guide.

I n t r o d u c t i o n 5 

Course Introduction 

Do you know that you can have an active part in 

accomplishing the building of Christ’s church? Certainly this 

is implied in Jesus’ statement of purpose in Matthew 16:18: 

“I will build my church.” Ever since the church began on the 

Day of Pentecost the followers of Christ have been planting the 

church in all the world. 

In this course you will learn the value of the direction 

of the Holy Spirit in planning strategy for the founding and 

development of new churches. The Bible gives principles and 

purposes which are a guide to planting the church among all 

cultures and peoples. 

The New Testament describes the beginnings and the 

development of the church and how it spread through the 

known world at that time. From the guidance of the Holy Spirit 

in the early church you will learn principles and patterns that 

continue to the present time. You will consider how every 

Christian has a responsibility to work with other members of 

the body of Christ to plant new churches. You will examine 

methods of motivating other believers to become involved in 

church planting. 

As you study this course, allow the Holy Spirit to show you 

His plan for your part in building the church of Jesus Christ. 

Let Him reveal to you the blessing and value of your local 

church within the larger, worldwide context of the body of 

Christ.


Course Description 

Starting New Churches is a practical course of study which 

stresses the importance of establishing new churches as a 

means of evangelizing the world. It gives guidelines so that any 

local church can be involved in the task of planting churches, 

thereby becoming a multiplying church. 

The course is designed to help a person in three ways: 1) 

It will help one understand the purpose and function of the 

church as described in the New Testament; 2) It will give 

one an understanding of the meaning and the importance of 

the concepts of self-government, self-propagation, and selfsupport; 

3) It will help one see the methods by which the 

church can be planted and multiplied under all conditions and 

in all cultures. 

Course Objectives 

When you finish this course you should be able to: 

1. Understand that planting churches is both the goal and the 

means of evangelism. 

2. Understand and value the role of the local church in the 

outreach ministry of the church universal. 

3. Explain the meaning of the multiplying church concept. 

4. Describe good church planting strategies among specific 

groups of people. 

5. Formulate and evaluate your plan for planting a church. 

Textbooks 

You will use Starting New Churches: An Independent-Study 

Textbook by Larry Pate as both the textbook and study guide for 

the course. The Bible is the only other requirement.


Study Time 

How much time you actually need to study each lesson 

depends in part on your knowledge of the subject and the 

strength of your study skills before you begin the course. The 

time you spend also depends on the extent to which you follow 

directions and develop skills necessary for independent study. 

Plan your study schedule so that you spend enough time to 

reach the objectives stated by the author of the course and your 

personal objectives as well. 

Lesson Organization and Study Pattern 

Each lesson includes: 1) lesson title, 2) opening statement, 

3) lesson outline, 4) lesson objectives, 5) learning activities, 6) 

key words, 7) lesson development including study questions, 8) 

self-test (at the end of the lesson development), 9) answers to 

the study questions. Answers to each self-test are at the back of 

your textbook before the unit student reports. 

The lesson outline and objectives will give you an overview 

of the subject, help you to focus your attention on the most 

important points as you study, and tell you what you should 

learn. 

Most of the study questions in the lesson development can 

be answered in spaces provided in this study guide. Longer 

answers should be written in a notebook. As you write the 

answers in your notebook, be sure to record the number and 

title of the lesson. This will help you in your review for the unit 

student report. 

Do not look ahead at the answers until you have given your 

answer. If you give your own answers, you will remember 

what you study much better. After you have answered the study 

questions, check your answers with those given at the end of 

the lesson. Then correct those you did not answer correctly. The 

answers are not given in the usual numerical order so that you 

will not accidentally see the answer to the next question. 

These study questions are very important. They will help


you to remember the main ideas presented in the lesson and to 

apply the principles you have learned. 

How to Answer Questions 

There are different kinds of study questions and self-test 

questions in this study guide. Below are samples of several 

types and how to answer them. Specific instructions will be 

given for other types of questions that may occur. 

A MULTIPLE-CHOICE question or item asks you to choose 

an answer from the ones that are given. 

1 The Bible has a total of 

a) 100 books. 

b) 66 books. 

c) 27 books. 

The correct answer is b) 66 books. In your study guide, 

make a circle around b) as shown here: 

1 The Bible has a total of 

a) 100 books. 

b) 66 books. 

c) 27 books. 

d) 2 books. 

(For some multiple-choice items, more than one answer will 

be correct. In that case, you would circle the letter in front of 

each correct answer.) 

A TRUE-FALSE question or item asks you to choose which 

of several statements are TRUE. 

Example 

2 Which statements below are TRUE? 

a) The Bible has a total of 120 books. 

b) The Bible is a message for believers today. 

c) All of the Bible authors wrote in the Hebrew language. 

d) The Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the Bible.


Statements b and d are true. You would make a circle 

around these two letters to show your choices, as you see 

above. 

A MATCHING question or item asks you to match things 

that go together, such as names with descriptions, or Bible 

books with their authors. 

Example 

3 Write the number for the leader’s name in front of each 

phrase that describes something he did. 

1 a . Received the Law at Mt. Sinai 1) Moses 

2 b . Led the Israelites across Jordan 2) Joshua 

2 c . . Marched around Jericho 

1 d . Lived in Pharaoh’s court 

Phrases a and d refer to Moses, and phrases b and c refer 

to Joshua. You would write 1 beside a and d, and 2 beside b 

and c, as you see above. 

Ways to Study This Course 

If you study this GU course by yourself, all of your work 

can be completed by mail. Although GU has designed this 

course for you to study on your own, you may also study it in a 

group or class. If you do this, the instructor may give you added 

instructions besides those in the course. If so, be sure to follow 

his instructions. 

Possibly you are interested in using the course in a home 

Bible study group, in a class at church, or in a Bible school. 

You will find both the subject content and study methods 

excellent for these purposes


Unit Student Reports 

In the back of your study guide are located the unit student 

reports and answer sheets. These are to be completed according 

to the instructions included in the course and in the unit student 

reports. You should complete and send each unit answer sheet 

to your instructor for his grading and suggestions regarding 

your work. Send one when you complete each unit. 

Certificate 

Upon the successful completion of the course and the final 

grading of the unit answer sheets by your GU instructor, you 

will receive your Certificate of Award. 

About the Author 

After searching for truth in several forms of religion, Larry 

Pate made a commitment to Jesus Christ just before entering 

the University of California, Davis. After studying for two 

years, he answered God’s call to the ministry. He transferred 

his studies to Bethany Bible College in Santa Cruz, California, 

receiving his B.S. degree. 

Mr. Pate was active in the ministry as an evangelist, 

associate pastor, and pastor for eight years before entering 

missionary service in 1974. He has done graduate studies at the 

University of Santa Clara and the Assemblies of God Graduate 

School, receiving a master of science degree in missions 

science. He has done further graduate studies at the School of 

World Mission of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, 

California. He served as a missionary to Bangladesh for six 

years and later was instructor of cross-cultural ministries at 

Southern California College, Costa Mesa, California. Mr. Pate 

and his family are now missionaries to Brazil.


Your GU instructor 

Your GU instructor will be happy to help you in any way 

possible. If you have any questions about the course or the 

unit student reports, please feel free to ask him. If several 

people want to study this course together, ask about special 

arrangements for group study. 

God bless you as you study Starting New Churches. May it 

enrich your life and Christian service and help you fulfill more 

effectively your part in the body of Christ.

1

The Model for 


Lessons 

1 Churches in the New Testament 

2 Churches and Their Mission


LESSON 

1 

Churches in the 

New Testament 

John and David were excited as they talked to their former 

teacher. “For the past two weeks we have preached in the 

square at Gane and 20 people have accepted the Lord as their 

Savior. Now we must start a church for the new believers. We 

want to be sure to do it right so we’ve come to discuss it with 

you.” 

“Starting a new church is a wonderful responsibility,” 

Brother Eyo replied. “The church was planned in the mind of 

God, started by the Lord Jesus, and is directed by the Holy 

Spirit. Let’s talk about what your responsibility in starting a 

new church really means.” 

Perhaps you have found yourself in a similar situation, or 

you know that soon you will want to start a new church. This 

course will help you follow the scriptural plan for starting 

new churches. The first lesson will give you God’s plan for 

the beginning of His church. It will help you understand more 

clearly God’s plan for the church, and appreciate fully the work 

of the Holy Spirit in the mission of the church.

C h u r c h e s i n t h e N e w Te s t a m e n t 15 

lesson outline 

The Pattern of the Church 

The Ministry of the Church 

The Planter of the Church 

The Power of the Church 

lesson objectives 

When you finish this lesson you should be able to: 

1. Indicate the New Testament church’s guide for establishing 

churches. 

2. Describe how the ministry gifts relate to starting new 

churches. 

3. Identify spiritual qualities of a church planter. 

4. State basic elements of a church planter’s message. 

5. Describe the Holy Spirit’s work in church planting. 

learning activities 

1. Carefully read the preliminary section in this independentstudy 

guide and each Scripture as it is mentioned in the lesson. 

2. Study the lesson outline and lesson objectives. These will 

help you identify the things you should learn. 

3. Check the glossary at the end of the study guide for 

definitions of any key words you do not understand. 

4. Read the lesson and do the exercises in the lesson 

development. Most of your responses can be made in this 

study guide. However, where longer responses are required, 

write your answers in a notebook. Check your answers with 

those given at the end of the lesson. 

5. Take the self-test at the end of the lesson and check your 

answers carefully with the answers given in the back of this 

textbook. Review any items you answer incorrectly.


key words 

Understanding the key words listed at the beginning of each 

lesson will help you as you study. You will find them defined 

in alphabetical order in the glossary that is in the back of your 

study guide. If you are in doubt about the meaning of any of 

the words on the list, you may look them up now or when you 

come across them in your reading. 

characteristic fellowship nurture 

community guidelines pattern 

culture identify principle 

edify integrate role 

empower local universal 

evangelism 

evangelize 

ministry 

multiply


lesson development 

In the sight of God, all the people who believe in Christ are 

in one spiritual fellowship. The Bible calls this fellowship the 

body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12–13, 27). The Bible uses the 

word “church” when referring to people who believe in Christ. 

The church is a fellowship of believers, those who have been 

born again, redeemed from their sins through Christ’s sacrifice 

on the Cross. They believe in the death of Jesus as the sacrifice 

for their salvation and live in obedience to God. In the New 

Testament the term “believers” and “church” used in the same 

context refer to followers of Christ (Acts 14:21–28; 15:2–3). 

The word “church” is used to describe different elements of 

the body of Christ: 

1. The local church, or the church gathered. This is a group of 

individual believers who meet to worship God and study the 

Bible (Acts 11:22; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 

Philemon 2). In one place it may be thousands of believers 

gathered. In another place believers may gather in small groups 

(Matthew 18:20). Both are examples of the church gathered. 

2. The church worldwide. This is the fellowship of all believers 

around the world. Every true believer is part of this worldwide 

fellowship that is often called the church universal. 

The Pattern of the Church 

Objective 1. Indicate the New Testament church’s guide for 

establishing churches. 

The church we read about in the New Testament was the 

model for all future growth of the church. Paul wrote to the 

Ephesians that God’s people, the church, are “members of 

God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and 

prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone” 

(Ephesians 2:19–20). With this great foundation, what kind of 

church does God want us to build today? The beginning of the 

church teaches us several key principles for building the church 

in any culture, place, or time.


The Beginning of the Church 

Following are six key principles which are found in 

studying the work of the New Testament church. 

First, believers are responsible for taking the gospel to 

their own community. The disciples followed Jesus’ command 

to begin in Jerusalem to preach the gospel. They not only 

preached the gospel but also witnessed the gospel by their 

manner of living. Read Acts 2:42–47. Let us study these verses 

of Scripture and notice how the testimony of the church was 

strengthened by the way the believers lived. 

Verse 42 shows that the believers were strengthened in their 

faith by devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and were 

encouraged by the fellowship of eating and praying together. 

Also, they helped each other by sharing their goods and 

possessions with those who were in need (v. 45). 

Everyone was filled with awe because of the wonders and 

miraculous signs done by the apostles through the power of 

God. These miracles must have been a testimony to all who 

saw them, and no doubt attracted many to become believers in 

Christ. We can assume that many unbelievers were attracted, 

too, by the joy and happiness of the believers. Verse 46 

describes what the people of Jerusalem observed about the 

Christians: “Every day they continued to meet together in the 

temple courts. They . . . ate together with glad and sincere 

hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.” 

The result of the believers’ manner of living was that “the 

Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” 

(v. 47). Thus, a local body of believers was formed. And while 

they were an encouragement and strength to each other, they 

made a significant impact of witness in their community. 

Individuals can witness the gospel in their community, but the 

most lasting and effective witness is through a body of believers 

living their new faith in love and joy in their community. A strong 

local group of believers was established in Jerusalem. Then the 

church began to grow quickly in the surrounding areas of Judea, 

and Samaria, and within a short time to the provinces beyond.


Second, the gospel was preached to the unsaved where they 

were. The apostles did not confine themselves to a building where 

they preached the message of salvation. They went out every 

day and met together in the temple courts (Acts 2:46) where the 

people were who needed to hear their message. Even after the 

apostles were jailed and flogged, they continued: “Day after day, 

in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped 

teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ” 

(Acts 5:42). The principle expressed here is that they took the 

gospel to where the sinners were. They did not wait for the sinners 

to come to their local group. We should follow their example. 

Third, the New Testament church identified and sent out those 

whom God called to take the gospel to other areas. While it is the 

responsibility of every believer to witness in his or her community, 

there are those who have the ability and call to go out to new 

areas. An example of this was shown by the church at Antioch in 

sending out Barnabas and Saul after they had been set apart by the 

Holy Spirit (Acts 13:1–3). Later in this course we will study the 

self-propagation of the church and discuss this principle in depth. 

Fourth, New Testament evangelism was directed toward adults. 

The New Testament pattern was preaching to win family leaders 

who would bring their whole household to Christ. There are many 

examples of this principle in the New Testament: Peter preached to the 

house of Cornelius (Acts 10); Paul called on the Philippian jailer to 

believe on the Lord, then baptized him and all his family (Acts 16:31– 

33). In Philippi Paul preached to some businesswomen; among them 

was Lydia, who opened her heart and responded to Paul’s message. 

She and the members of her household were baptized (Acts 16:14– 

15). Other examples are the household of Stephanas (1 Corinthians 

1:16), Onesiphorus (2 Timothy 1:16), and Philemon (Philemon 2). 

Often when adults are won to Christ, they bring their children to 

accept Him too. In this way whole families become believers. 

Fifth, new believers were integrated into the life of the body 

of the local church. The apostles followed Christ’s command 

to “make disciples” and then “teach” the new disciples. Those 

who accepted the message of salvation through Christ were 

immediately identified with the body of Christ—the church


(Acts 2:41). Then, they were taught by the apostles and nurtured 

in prayer and fellowship with the other members of the body. 

In addition to being taught doctrine, the believers “devoted 

themselves . . . to the fellowship . . . and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). 

The New Testament does not give strict guidelines on how the 

teaching of the new believers and the development of the body 

fellowship took place. The methods used by Jesus, the apostles, 

or other believers, varied and were determined by the need. But 

we do know that there are many instructions about relationships 

with other believers and their relationship with God. These two 

relationships cannot be separated. God has designed that it is 

within the context of the church and through the experiences of 

relationships with other members of the body that the new believer 

can grow into a mature, responsible disciple for Jesus Christ. 

Application 

1 Circle the letter of the TRUE statements concerning the 

activities of the early church believers as described in Acts 2. If a 

statement is not true, rewrite it on the following line so it is true. 

a) The disciples preached the gospel first to the people in 

Jerusalem. 

The disciples preached the gospel 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

b) After Pentecost the believers had to worship in secret 

because of the hostility of the Jews. 

After Pentecost the believers 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

c) Miraculous signs were done by the apostles. Their preaching 

and the joy of the new believers attracted others to be saved. 

Miraculous signs were done by the apostles. Their preaching 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

d) New converts were baptized after a six-month waiting period. 

New converts were baptized 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Sixth, the apostles preached salvation through faith in Christ, 

and not a system of religious beliefs or ceremonies. The believers 

of the early church were scattered around their known world and 

soon were preaching to many different peoples. The apostles 

preached salvation through belief in Jesus as the Savior. They did 

not preach to set forth a new system of beliefs. They preached 

with the demonstration of the power of God to meet the needs 

of people. When sinners saw miracles performed which helped 

people, they believed that Christ could meet their needs too. When 

they saw the power with which the gospel message was preached, 

they gained faith to believe for salvation (1 Corinthians 2:4). 

The church everywhere continued to follow the example 

of the apostles. Other believers in the church began to develop 

ministries. In each case their ministries were like the apostles’ 

(Acts 6:8; 8:4–8). Demons were cast out; cripples were healed; 

and there was great joy in the hearts of the people, because they 

were delivered from sin, diseases, and despair. This is what 

caused the churches to grow, and new believers were added daily. 

The Holy Spirit guided the early church to provide 

fellowship to meet the needs of the new believers. This 

fellowship gave them a sense of belonging. As Jesus had 

prophesied, the church grew first in Jerusalem. Thousands 

became believers in a short time. Most of them were Jews. 

Even though they followed Jesus, they were still Jews; 

consequently, they believed they should continue to follow the 

ceremonial rules of Jewish worship (Acts 5:20; 24:18). But 

when non-Jewish people became believers, the Jewish believers 

wanted them to follow Jewish customs. This problem was 

discussed at a special meeting of the leaders of the church, and 

the Holy Spirit used the apostles to change the Jewish believers’ 

minds (Acts 11:1–18; 15:1–20). If the non-Jewish believers had 

been required to follow Jewish ceremonial rules, they would 

have believed that salvation rested in part on the observance 

of religious rituals. It was God’s plan, however, that salvation 

depend on no one but Christ (Acts 4:12), and that all believers 

are to be baptized into one body—whether Jew or non-Jew, 

slave or free (1 Corinthians 12:13).


This principle allowed the gospel to spread around the world 

and gave us the truth that it is only salvation that must be preached, 

not local ceremonies or customs. What the New Testament church 

taught was the same everywhere. People may express their faith in 

different ways. How people worshipped depended on their culture. 

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the same today; it is just as powerful 

in Africa or China as it is in Latin America or Europe. 

Application 

2 Circle the letter in front of the correct sentence completion. 

The decision of the church described in Acts 15:1–11 supports 

the truth that 

a) salvation is only through the acceptance of the grace of 

Jesus Christ. 

b) some ceremonies of other religions can blend with 

Christianity to make it more acceptable to all cultures. 

c) cultural differences prevent peoples of different national 

groups from worshipping together. 

3 Listed in the middle column are six principles observed by 

the early disciples. Match the principle with the verses which are 

a demonstration of the principle. 

. . . a The gospel preached first in 

their own community 

. . . b The gospel preached to the 

unsaved where they are 

. . . c Those called to preach 

identified and sent out 

. . . d Salvation through faith in Christ 

without added religious ritual 

. . . e Evangelism directed to adults 

. . . f New believers quickly brought 

into church fellowship 

1) Acts 13:1–3 

2) Acts 5:12, 25, 42 

3) Acts 2:14–41; 

4:1–2 

4) Acts 2:41–47 

5) Acts 10; 16:31–33 

6) Acts 15:1–20


The Purpose of the Church 

Jesus commanded His disciples, “Therefore go and make 

disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father 

and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey 

everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20). 

Jesus’ command can be divided into two parts: 1) Go 

make disciples and 2) teach them to obey everything Jesus 

commanded. These are the two primary ministry functions of 

the church: evangelism and teaching. 

An example of how the early church obeyed this command 

is found in Acts 14:21–22. 

They preached the good news in that city 

and won a large number of disciples. Then 

they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 

strengthening the disciples and encouraging 

them to remain true to the faith. 

In this example, the apostles Paul and Barnabas made many 

disciples in Derbe (evangelism). Later, on the same journey they 

returned and strengthened (teaching) the new disciples. This was 

in direct obedience to Christ’s command in Matthew 28:19–20. 

These two functions explain the reason why God has placed 

the church in the world. What does God expect His people, the 

church, to do when they come in contact with the unbelieving 

world? The answer is, “make disciples.” What does God intend 

to happen to believers as they meet as members of the body of 

Christ? The answer is to edify or build up one another in faith.


Application 

4 Opposite each Scripture below write 1) if it represents a 

function of evangelism and 2) if it represents a teaching function 

of the church. 

. . . a Acts 3:6–7 

. . . b Acts 8:36–38 

. . . c Acts 15:24–29 

. . . d Acts 16:28–31 

The Importance of the Church 

Jesus knew His death and resurrection would make 

salvation possible for everyone. He wanted the news of 

salvation to spread around the world, but He did not preach 

everywhere. He preached only in Palestine. 

He knew God’s plan for the salvation of the world. To help 

accomplish this, He did four things: 1) He chose a group of men to 

whom He revealed himself as Savior; 2) He gathered these disciples 

together in a group around Him; 3) He taught them concerning the 

kingdom of God; and 4) He instructed them to follow His example 

by teaching other disciples as He had taught them. As He left His 

disciples, He gave them the command in Matthew 28:19. Jesus 

knew His disciples could be effective in making new disciples only 

if He taught them. The best way for Him to do this was to gather 

them into a group. In this way He could instruct them together so 

they, in turn, could help and inspire one another. When the disciples 

began their ministry, they would continue this process of making 

disciples and gathering them together for teaching. 

Today, we refer to groups of believers that meet together for 

these purposes as local churches. The functions of evangelism 

and teaching generally will be found in spiritually healthy local 

churches. The individual believer can evangelize, but usually 

evangelism is more effective when the believers who are trained 

in an established church collectively carry out this function. The


local church provides training and a place where new converts 

can be brought together for worship, instruction in the Bible, and 

Christian fellowship. Churches which provide adequate training 

for new disciples will prepare them for extending the church’s 

ministry through evangelism and teaching. 

Application 

5 Circle the letter in front of TRUE statements describing the 

church’s role in God’s plan of evangelism. 

a) The church is the place where the unsaved are brought to 

meet believers and observe a worship service. 

b) New believers come into the church where they learn about living 

the Christian life. Then they go out and win others to Christ. 

c) The primary role of the church is to conduct outdoor public 

evangelistic services. 

d) The church accomplishes its evangelism role through a 

continuing cycle of making and teaching new disciples. 

The Ministry of the Church 

Ministry Has Two Functions 

Objective 2. Describe how the ministry gifts relate to starting new 

churches. 

Kinds of Ministry Gifts 

When Jesus left His earthly ministry, the Holy Spirit came. 

He gave gifts of ministry to the church, and these ministry gifts 

help the church to fulfill its God-given mission. But how does this 

happen? Who performs which tasks in the church’s ministry? Read 

the following Scriptures which discuss the nature and purpose of 

the ministry gifts which were given to the church: Romans 12:5–8; 

1 Corinthians 12:27–31; 1 Timothy 3:1–10; and Ephesians 4:11–12. 

These Scriptures give examples of the kinds of gifts of ministry 

God gives to the church. We can classify these gifts according to 

the place where they are primarily used.


1. Ministry gifts used primarily in the church body: Prophets, 

pastors, teachers, elders, deacons, administrators, diverse tongues. 

2. Ministry gifts used primarily outside the church: Apostles 

and evangelists. 

3. Ministry gifts used inside and outside the church: Exhorting, 

miracles, giving, gifts of healing, showing mercy, helps. 

Although this listing gives the primary use of these ministry 

gifts, all of them may be used inside the church body when 

needed, and all of them may be used outside the church body to 

meet whatever needs are present. For example, the evangelist 

may teach those within the church how to evangelize. The 

pastors may preach and witness to those outside the church 

as well as those within the church. The purpose of making 

a classification of ministries is to challenge us to see that 

every believer has a work to do, and that God equipped us to 

accomplish that task. 

Application 

6 Read the following verses in your Bible, then write the name 

of each gift mentioned in each verse. 

a) Romans 12:6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

b) Romans 12:7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

c) 1 Corinthians 12:8–10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

d) Ephesians 4:11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

e) 1 Timothy 3:10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Purpose of Ministry Gifts 

Paul lists five ministry gifts which are intended to provide 

leadership in the church. Do only certain believers possess 

ministry gifts to be used in performing the ministry of the 

church? No! All believers are to exercise gifts listed in 

1 Corinthians 12:4–6 as part of the body; however, not all


believers will be called to leadership. Ephesians 4:11–12 

explains the reason why: Jesus “gave some to be apostles, some 

to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors 

and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so 

that the body of Christ may be built up.” So God’s ministry 

gifts to the church are given to do two things: 1) prepare God’s 

people for works of service, and 2) build up the body of Christ. 

Notice that Christ gave ministry gifts to the church to help 

the church fulfill His own command in Matthew 28:19. This 

becomes clear when we compare the two verses of Scripture: 

Ephesians 4:12 Matthew 28:19 

“works of service” 

“the body of Christ may be 

built up” 

“go and make disciples” 

“teaching them to obey 

everything I have 

commanded you” 

So Ephesians 4:12 shows that Christ gave ministry gifts so 

the church could properly carry out His command in Matthew 

28:19. Ephesians 4:12 also explains this process. These 

ministry gifts are given to strengthen the church. 

Application 

7 Read 1 Corinthians 12:6, 27 and Ephesians 4:11–12, and 

write short answers to the following questions. 

a) To what part of the local church are the ministry gifts given? 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

b) For what two purposes are ministry gifts given to the church? 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

c) List three ways in which you have seen ministry gifts used in 

your church. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


8 New churches are started as ministry gifts are used by the 

church 

a) to evangelize, then to build up new believers, who then are 

able to evangelize and bring other new believers into the 

church. 

b) within the body of the church since the gifts are only for the 

benefit of the believers. 

c) through the primary gift of apostles, which is necessary for 

starting new churches. 

For a more detailed study on ministry gifts in the church you 

may take the course Spiritual Gifts. This is part of the Christian 

Service series you are now studying. 

The Planter of the Church 

Objective 3. Identify spiritual qualities of a church planter. 

When a farmer plants a seed he cannot make a plant grow. 

He can till the soil and water it, but the seed grows by itself. 

The farmer does not have to be there; he simply nurtures what 

he has planted and provides the best environment possible for 

it to develop. In much the same way, a believer can witness to a 

person but cannot make him or her a believer. He can use great 

skill in telling the gospel, but only God can make the seed of 

faith grow in the unbeliever’s heart. Starting new churches is 

much like that. 

We can gather new believers together into a group. We can 

teach and encourage them to become strong in their faith, but 

it is the Holy Spirit who gives them faith to become a strong 

multiplying church. The farmer must depend on the sun and rain 

to cause his seed to grow, but at the same time he must work hard 

and continue to till the soil and water it until the crops are ready 

for harvest. Those who start churches have the responsibility to 

nurture believers, praying with them, teaching them God’s Word, 

and leading them to respond to the working of the Holy Spirit. In 

this way the church will grow and bear fruit. That is why starting 

new churches is called church planting.


Application 

9 Starting new churches is spoken of as “planting” new 

churches because 

a) the farmer need do nothing after the seed is planted but wait 

for it to grow. Even so, the church planter can do nothing to 

help a church bear fruit. 

b) the gospel must be preached and the believers nurtured and 

cared for in order for the church to grow and bear fruit. 

Similarly, seed must be planted and the crops watered and 

cared for if they are to produce. 

c) seeds will grow wherever they are planted; therefore, 

churches will spring up wherever the gospel is preached. 

A Church Planter Sets a Good Example 

Who can be a church planter? A church planter is a believer 

to whom God has given the opportunity to establish a church. 

Church planting is the result of a believer’s determination to 

present Christ to the lost, win converts, and then help form 

these converts into a local church. 

What are the qualifications of a church planter? Study of 

the New Testament and of the lives of the early church leaders 

shows that the qualifications of a church planter are those 

required of anyone who wants to be used of God. God will lead 

us into certain tasks that are suitable for our personalities and 

talents, but a desire to be used of God is a basic requirement, 

whether it is to plant churches or any other phase of the work of 

God. 

What are the qualities of one who desires to be used 

of God? First, and most importantly, a church planter is a 

servant (Philippians 2:4–7). Jesus assumed the role of a 

servant. He commanded all those who would be leaders to be 

servants (John 13:14–16). Paul became “a slave to everyone” 

(1 Corinthians 9:19).


A faithful servant does not base his actions on fulfilling 

his selfish needs. Rather, he is concerned more about the 

desires and welfare of those he serves. There is no need to feel 

competitive with other servants, since self pride and ambitions 

do not motivate the service rendered. The true servant finds joy 

in the pleasure of service. 

Other qualities of the effective church planter are: 

1. The church planter is a man or woman of God, who is born 

again and lives a Spirit-filled life (John 3:3, Acts 1:8). Paul 

stated that through the grace of God and the power of the Holy 

Spirit he preached the gospel. It was his ambition to preach 

where Christ was not known (Romans 15:18–20). These are 

some of the reasons Paul was a great church planter. 

2. The church planter has a lifestyle of prayer. See Colossians 

1:9–11 and Ephesians 3:14–19; 6:18. Prayer is an active 

involvement in bringing to pass the will of God. These 

verses of Scripture picture prayer as a vital function, an 

engagement, in spiritual warfare. Through effective, fervent 

prayer (James 5:16), the believer influences circumstances 

and situations involved in planting the church, and thus 

witnesses victory and blessings in places which might 

otherwise be failures. Paul serves as a good example. It is 

also true that prayer molds and fashions the individual so 

that he is yielded and useful in whatever circumstance God 

has placed him. 

3. The church planter is moved by deep and continuing 

compassion for the lost (Romans 9:2–3). Jesus illustrated 

this concern for the lost in His parable of the lost son 

(Luke 15:11–32). He showed the necessity of self-denying 

devotion to the lost in His story of the shepherd searching 

for the lost sheep (Luke 15:3–7). 

4. The church planter loves people and must be willing to give time 

and show concern for their problems (1 Thessalonians 2:7–8). 

5. The church planter is an example of mature Christian 

character (1 Corinthians 11:1, 1 Thessalonians 1:6–8).


The work of God is accomplished because of the vision, 

love, sacrifice, and perseverance of individuals who gave 

themselves to the task to which God called them. One such 

man was working to develop an outstation church several miles 

from his own church. He walked there regularly to minister to 

the people. Often it rained at night as he walked home from 

the services. The hills were so slippery that he had to climb 

them on his hands and knees. Sometimes he would not reach 

home until 2:30 in the morning, and he would be covered with 

mud from head to foot. No one paid him to do this. He was 

compelled by his love for the people and the work of God. 

Eventually, he was able to organize the work into a church with 

one of his helpers as pastor. This man demonstrated the spirit of 

an effective church planter. 

Application 

10 Circle the letter of each description showing the 

characteristics of an effective church planter. 

a) Philip is a new Christian with a talent for public speaking. 

He feels he should use his talent for the Lord’s work. He 

wants to preach because he feels that public ministry is 

more rewarding and important than other ministries. 

b) James has worked faithfully in his church since he was 

saved four years ago. He diligently studies his Bible and 

witnesses to the lost under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. 

Frequently he spends Saturdays helping the unsaved and 

needy people of his town. 

c) The young people in John’s neighborhood like to spend 

evenings in his home. Although it takes much of his time, 

he listens to their problems, prays with them, counsels them, 

and gives practical help to solve their problems. 

11 In your notebook write the letter of each answer you circled 

in 10. After each one write the qualities of an effective church 

planter which are demonstrated by that person.


A Church Planter Brings God’s Message 

Objective 4. State basic elements of a church planter’s message. 

1. Bible-based message. New churches come into existence 

as a result of the unsaved hearing the message of the gospel and 

accepting Jesus Christ as Savior. The new converts will have 

a firm foundation when that message is based on Scripture. 

The Scriptures are filled with divine authority. The Word of 

God is powerful; it convicts of sin and judges the thoughts and 

attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Recognizing this power, 

the apostles referred to the Old Testament Scriptures many 

times when they preached and taught. They used the Scriptures 

to show that Christ was the Messiah. 

When preaching is based on the Bible, it carries the authority 

of God and hearers recognize this authority. The unbelieving Jews 

acknowledged the authority of Jesus’ teaching (Matthew 7:29) and 

were in awe of Him: “‘No one ever spoke the way this man does’” 

(John 7:46). The power of His Word is available to us today as 

we preach Bible based-messages. Only a Bible-based message is 

effective in winning the lost and establishing them in Christ. 

2. Christ-centered message. Christ is the center of the 

message that helps to multiply churches. The good news is that 

Christ is the Messiah, the One in whom all the ancient prophecies 

have been fulfilled. He is the One who gave His life on the Cross 

so people may gain eternal life and forgiveness from sin. The 

message about the Messiah—the crucified, risen Savior—is the 

message which helps to make disciples and multiply churches. A 

great part of the message of the gospel is simply explaining who 

Jesus is, what He did on earth, the importance of His death and 

resurrection, and what He is doing and willing to do for those 

who believe in Him. This message changes people’s lives. 

3. Need-centered message. The messenger who effectively 

starts new churches preaches messages that will show hearers that 

Christ can meet their needs. The person who does not know Jesus 

often feels alone with no one to turn to for help. Some people are 

full of fear. Such people feel a need for help from someone or 

something beyond themselves. This search for help causes them


to take part in all sorts of religious rituals, hoping they will find 

an answer to their needs. Some worship ancestors. Others seek 

protection from the spirit world. An example of preaching to meet 

the needs of such people would be a message that gives a simple 

explanation of how sin separates from God and how Christ’s 

sacrifice allows people to be reunited in fellowship with God. 

Fellowship with God gives us the resources to meet all our needs. 

An evangelist friend of mine preaches a simple Christcentered 

message. Often people who are sick come to hear. 

He does not claim to be a healer, but he tells the people how 

Jesus healed the sick. He tells them Jesus still heals today, and 

will hear them if they pray to Him in faith. Hundreds have 

been healed and thousands have become believers through this 

brother’s ministry. Many churches have been started because 

my friend preaches to meet the needs of the people. 

The gospel is a message of hope which meets the needs 

of the human heart. The effective messenger will understand 

these needs and will show how Christ can meet those needs. A 

need-centered message reaches people. This is the first step in 

starting new churches. 

Application 

12 Some of the topics of the following messages contain 

examples of qualities which are helpful in starting new churches. 

Match the quality (right) with the message described (left). 

. . . a Focuses on political problems and 

suggests solutions 

. . . b Speaks of God’s power to heal the 

sick 

. . . c Explains Scriptures about God’s love 

. . . d Criticizes beliefs of other religions 

. . . .e Explains salvation through Jesus Christ 

1) Need-centered 

2) Bible-based 

3) Christ-centered 

4) No spiritual 

quality


The Power of the Church 

Objective 5. Describe the Holy Spirit’s work in church planting. 

The Holy Spirit Empowers Church Planters 

A few years ago in the capital city of an African country, 

there was only one evangelical church. In a mountain region 

of that same country, a Christian man felt that God called him 

to preach the gospel. This brother had a government job with 

a high salary. When he quit the job to go to Bible school, his 

relatives were angry and persecuted him greatly. He had a wife 

and four small children. It was very difficult to provide for his 

family in the way he had before he began his studies. When 

he graduated from Bible school, he went to the capital city to 

start a new church. He started with only a few believers. Life 

was difficult for him and his family in the city where prices 

were high, but he remained faithful. Today the church is large 

enough to support him, and it is still growing. It is true that 

he receives only one-fifth of the salary he was receiving from 

the government, but he feels all the struggle was worthwhile 

because a new church was planted. Six years ago there was 

only one evangelical church in the capital city, but other people 

also followed the Lord’s command and became church planters. 

Today that city has eighteen evangelical churches. 

Why would a man leave a good job to start a church? Why 

would he be willing to suffer persecution from relatives? 

Because God has spoken to him by the Holy Spirit. The Holy 

Spirit empowers people to believe God for help in reaching 

unreached peoples and in starting new churches. 

We cannot be effective church planters without the 

indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus told the 

disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received power. Then 

they would be effective in His service (Acts 1:4–5, 8). In this 

course you are studying important methods and principles of 

church planting, but you will not be an effective church planter 

unless you are ministering the Word in the power of the Holy 

Spirit. Faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ (Romans 

10:17). Messages anointed by the Holy Spirit will be effective.


Application 

13 Read Acts 1:4–5 and 8. Then write the answers to the 

following questions in your notebook. 

a) What were the disciples to do first? 

b) What was promised? 

c) What would happen in a few days? 

d) What would this do for them? 

e) Where were they to go? 

The Holy Spirit Gives Life to the Church 

In addition to using good methods for church planting, it 

is most important to recognize the work of the Holy Spirit in 

giving the local church spiritual power. With proper methods 

and divine power, local churches can effectively multiply 

themselves by planting other churches. Just as the Holy Spirit 

enables the individual to believe for salvation so the Holy Spirit 

gives living, active faith to the church. Powerful evangelism 

may occur, but good methods combined with the power of the 

Holy Spirit are necessary to conserve the results and provide 

the support necessary to promote spiritual vitality and healthy 

growth. 

The following example demonstrates how the Holy Spirit 

will revitalize a church when the believers commit themselves 

to prayer and claim His power. 

In a Latin American country, there were very few churches 

and the believers were jealous and suspicious of each other. 

They were not zealous to do the work of God. Several 

Christians who were concerned about the poor spiritual 

condition of the churches began to meet to pray. In one week, 

75 believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, and within 18 

months about 300 received the infilling of the Holy Spirit. 

Within two years the number of believers and churches had 

almost doubled. The gospel was being preached in remote 

unreached areas of the country by believers who were full of 

the power of the Holy Spirit and zealous to work for God.


That is the combination of dedicated service and the power 

of the Holy Spirit we see in the New Testament. Mark observes, 

“Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the 

Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs 

that accompanied it” (Mark 16:20). 

Application 

14 Read the following verses from the book of Acts. After each 

one write a brief description of what it shows about the Holy 

Spirit’s role in helping the apostles’ ministry. 

a) Acts 2:14–41 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

b) Acts 4:7–10 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

c) Acts 6:8 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

d) Acts 8:30–31 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

e) Acts 13:24 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

As we work to obey Christ’s command to make disciples 

in all the world, we can learn from New Testament examples 

of the work of the early church. Like early Christians we 

must work in the power and direction of the Holy Spirit. Then 

we will build a thriving, dynamic church of the kind Jesus 

envisioned: “‘I will build my church, and the gates of Hades


will not overcome it’” (Matthew 16:18). May God richly 

encourage you and fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit as 

you continue to study methods of starting new churches.


self-test 

MULTIPLE CHOICE. There is only one correct answer for 

each question. Circle the letter of the correct answer. 

1 To apply an early church principle of church planting one 

could 

a) go daily from town to town preaching to as many as 

possible. 

b) preach in an open air service, then gather new believers for 

teaching. 

c) direct most evangelism to children because they have 

unbiased minds. 

d) require new believers to adopt specific patterns of worship. 

2 Events in the book of Acts show that preaching which helps 

to multiply churches is 

a) scripturally based on divine authority. 

b) an argument against idolatry. 

c) based on requirements of the Mosaic law. 

d) used to condemn followers of other religions. 

3 Which describes a person who allows the Holy Spirit to 

work in his or her life? 

a) Joe preaches about the sins of idolatry to a group of people 

who have never heard the gospel. 

b) William is fearful to tell his father that he has become a 

Christian. 

c) John preaches at a village even after the heathen people 

have burned the new church building. 

d) Sarah hears the gospel several times, then decides to wait to 

decide about giving her life to Christ. 

4 Pastors, elders, prophets, and administrators are ministry 

gifts used primarily 

a) for evangelizing the lost. 

b) in the church body. 

c) outside the church as a witness.


5 Which pastor is encouraging the church as a body to develop 

the use of ministry gifts? 

a) John allows every member to participate in church 

ministries according to his or her ability. 

b) Samuel carefully selects those with leadership abilities to 

participate in ministry. 

6 Faith which enables a person to believe for salvation is a 

result of 

a) hearing the eloquent preaching of the church planter. 

b) efficient planning of evangelistic services. 

c) systematic memorizing of doctrine. 

d) hearing the Word of God. 

TRUE-FALSE. Write T in front of the TRUE statements, 

and F in front of those which are FALSE. 

. . . 7 The primary purpose of the local church body is to hold 

evangelistic services to preach to unbelievers. 

. . . 8 The main purpose for ministry gifts in the church is to 

enable all members to speak in tongues. 

. . . 9 Ministry gifts are in the church to strengthen the 

believers in faith and knowledge of the Word. 

. . . 10 To witness to unbelievers and make disciples is a 

special calling for only certain Christians. 

. . . 11 Accounts in Acts indicate that winning adults to Christ 

helps to bring families to the Lord. 

. . . 12 A church multiplies through the Holy Spirit’s power to 

conserve the work of evangelism and promote spiritual 

growth.


answers to study questions 

The answers to your study exercises are not given in the 

usual order, so that you will not easily see the answer to your 

next question ahead of time. Try not to look ahead. 

8 a) to evangelize, then to build up new believers, who then 

are able to evangelize and bring other new believers into 

the church. 

1 a) True 

b) False. After Pentecost the believers worshipped openly 

in the temple courts, in homes, and other public places. 

c) True 

d) False. New converts were baptized immediately after 

repentance. See Acts 2:41. 

9 b) the gospel must be preached and the believers nurtured 

and cared for in order for the church to grow and bear 

fruit. Similarly, seed must be planted and the crops 

watered and cared for if they are to produce. 

2 a) salvation is only through the acceptance of the grace of 

Jesus Christ. 

10 b) James has worked faithfully in his church since he was 

saved four years ago. He diligently studies his Bible 

and witnesses to the lost under the anointing of the 

Holy Spirit. Frequently he spends Saturdays helping the 

unsaved and needy people of his town. 

c) The young people in John’s neighborhood like to spend 

evenings in his home. Although it takes much of his 

time, he listens to their problems, prays with them, 

counsels them, and gives practical help to solve their 

problems. 

3 a 3) Acts 2:14–41; 4:1–2 

b 2) Acts 5:12, 25, 42 

c 1) Acts 13:1–3 

d 6) Acts 15:1–20 

e 5) Acts 10; 16:31–33 

f 4) Acts 2:41–47


11 In any order 

b) Born again, filled with the Holy Spirit, servant, love and 

compassion for the lost, a mature Christian. 

c) Servant, love and compassion for people, man of prayer. 

4 a 1) Evangelism 

b 2) Teaching 

c 2) Teaching 

d 1) Evangelism 

12 a 4) No spiritual quality 

b 1) Need-centered 

c 2) Bible-based 

d 4) No spiritual quality 

e 3) Christ-centered 

5 b) and d) are true. 

13 a) They were to wait in Jerusalem. 

b) They would receive the gift of the Father. 

c) They would be baptized in the Holy Spirit. 

d) They would receive power and become witnesses. 

e) They were to go to Jerusalem, Samaria and to the ends 

of the earth. 

6 a) Prophecy 

b) Serving, teaching 

c) Wisdom, knowledge, faith, miracles, healing, prophecy, 

tongues, interpretation of tongues, distinguishing of 

spirits 

d) Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers 

e) Deacons, overseers 

7 a) To all believers, or all the body of Christ 

b) To prepare for service, and build up the body of Christ 

c) Your answer. Examples could be teaching, edifying, or 

leadership


14 Your answer 

a) The Holy Spirit helped Peter preach a message and many 

people repented and were baptized. 

b) The Holy Spirit helped people through the disciples and 

helped the disciples when they were in trouble with the 

authorities. 

c) He helped Stephen do miracles. 

d) He helped Philip explain the gospel to the man in the 

chariot. 

e) He directed people to become involved in special 

ministry.

C h u r c h e s i n t h e N e w Te s t a m e n t 43


LESSON 

2 

Churches and Their 

Mission 

“It’s been a wonderful week,” David was very excited as 

he began to tell Brother Eyo about their experiences at Gane. 

“Several more people have been saved, two were marvelously 

healed, and a notorious drunkard accepted the Lord. All the 

town is amazed at his new life. 

“And not only that,” John interrupted, “the new Christians 

meet together every evening and sing with such joy almost the 

whole town comes to listen. We’re amazed at how much the 

church is growing.” 

“That is the purpose of the church in the world,” replied 

Brother Eyo, “to show people the power of Christ to meet their 

greatest needs. When they see this, they are eager to come to 

listen to your message.” 

In this lesson you will learn how God used the apostles 

to establish the principles which guide the mission of the 

church. The New Testament provides good examples of these 

principles, and you will see how they can be applied today.

C h u r c h e s a n d T h e i r M i s s i o n 

45 


The Mission Defined 

The Mission Begun 

The Mission Continues 



1. Define the mission of the church. 

2. Identify from the book of Acts events that stimulated church 

growth. 

3. Identify principles of church organization that were 

followed by leaders of the New Testament church. 


1. Study the lesson development and answer the study 

questions according to the procedure given in Lesson 1. 

2. Carefully read Acts 1–20. 

3. Learn the meanings of key words that are new to you. 

4. Take the self-test at the end of the lesson. 

5. Review Lessons 1 and 2, then answer the questions in unit 

student report for Unit 1. 

key words 

administration finances ritual 

Aramaic flexible sanctity 

conversion magnetic spiritual 

deacon mission strategic 

delegate organizational supernatural 

divisive personality systematic 

doctrinal phenomenal Talmud



The Mission Defined 

Objective 1. Define the mission of the church. 

The church in the New Testament established principles 

by which its mission was to be accomplished. Methods, of 

course, have changed and will change, but the mission that was 

established by the Holy Spirit at the birth of the church will 

remain. 

What do we mean by the mission of the church? Mission 

may generally be defined as the carrying out of the redemptive 

purposes of God to all peoples. The church came into being 

because of God’s redemptive purpose. The church is the body 

of Christ and therefore the instrument through which God’s 

desires and purposes must be carried out (Ephesians 3:10– 

11). Jesus stated the means by which the purpose would be 

accomplished when He said to His disciples, “‘I will build my 

church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it’” (Matthew 

16:18). Jesus further defined the mission of the church in terms 

of where and how. 

Jesus clearly stated where the mission of the church would 

be when He spoke the words we call the Great Commission: 

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 

28:19). The mission of the church is to go everywhere with the 

gospel and make disciples in all nations. 

Jesus wants His church to search for and rescue the lost 

everywhere. The Lord’s parables emphasized finding. The 

woman did not merely search everywhere for her lost coin, 

but she searched until she found it (Luke 15:9). The shepherd 

searched for his lost sheep until he found it and joyfully 

brought it home (Luke 15:5). When the servant told the master 

of the feast that the invited guests would not come, the master 

told him to go and continue inviting until he found those who 

would come (Luke 14:21–23).


47 

Jesus carefully instructed His disciples not to stay where 

the gospel was rejected, but to continue on to towns where 

the people would receive it (Matthew 10:14). The apostles 

followed His instructions (Acts 13:51). However, while the 

apostles did not continue with those who rejected the gospel, 

they did preach to persuade. Paul, while in Corinth, “every 

Sabbath . . . reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews 

and Greeks” (Acts 18:4). 

The mission of the church is to all cultures, and social and 

economic levels. Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost to 

Jews in Jerusalem. The church was formed among the believing 

Jews who then became the bridge to the Gentiles. From the Jew 

first, the church went out to all peoples. 

How could human instruments carry out God’s purpose in 

the world? The mission of the church began in the power of 

the Holy Spirit. The apostles and the early church had to have 

inward power to propel them forward. They had become colaborers 

with God to accomplish His purpose. Before Jesus 

commanded the disciples to go to the ends of the earth, He said, 

“‘you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you’” 

(Acts 1:8). The principle has always remained: The internal 

power of the Spirit must be in the church before the external 

mission can begin. 

Application 

1 In your own words define the term mission as related to the 

church. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

2 What are three directives of presenting the gospel that we 

learn from these Scripture passages? 

a) Matthew 28:19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

b) Luke 15:5, 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

c) Matthew 10:14; Acts 13:51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


3 Read Acts 1:8. Explain how the church was able to begin its 

great mission. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

The Mission Begun 

The Church Grew 

Objective 2. Identify from the book of Acts events that stimulated 

church growth. 

The church in New Testament grew rapidly as people became 

believers every day (Acts 2:41, 47). The church did not grow 

simply because people wanted to find something new to believe. 

In fact, many who did believe were thrown into prison, beaten, 

or even killed. Yet many thousands of people became believers, 

and the gospel spread throughout many areas in just a few years. 

Believers followed Christ because their needs were being met 

by His power. In a short time following its birth, the church had 

grown by thousands of new believers. Certain principles used by 

the apostles then still promote church growth today. 

The Authority of Scripture 

On the Day of Pentecost Peter preached the life, death, and 

resurrection of Jesus. He proclaimed to the Jews that all these 

events were in direct fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies 

(Acts 2:21–31; 3:13). Stephen preached God’s plan for His 

people as detailed in known Old Testament events (Acts 7). 

At the house of Cornelius, Peter stated, “‘All the prophets 

testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives 

forgiveness of sins through his name’” (Acts 10:43). 

Through the power of the Word anointed by the Holy Spirit, 

“the people . . . were cut to the heart and said to Peter . . . ‘what 

shall we do?’” (Acts 2:37). They accepted his message and 

about three thousand believers were added to the church that


49 

day (Acts 2:41). The purpose of the apostles’ ministry was to 

cause people to believe in Christ as their Savior (Acts 2:37). 

They did not preach to set forth a new religion. They preached 

with the power of the Holy Spirit to prove that the prophecies 

of the Messiah pointed to Jesus Christ who was crucified, 

buried, and resurrected. 

Application 

4 Read the verses of Scripture listed, then mark 1) in front of 

those containing prophecy of Christ’s messiahship, and 2) for 

those referring to His suffering or resurrection. 

. . . a Psalm 2:1–2 

. . . b Psalm 16:8–11 

. . . c Psalm 22:1 

. . . d Psalm 22:18 

. . . e Psalm 110:1–2 

. . . f Isaiah 9:6–7 

. . . g Isaiah 53:4–5, 11 

. . . h Micah 5:2 

. . . i Zechariah 9:9 

Reliance on the Supernatural 

The next event recorded in Acts about the activities of the 

apostles after the Day of Pentecost is Peter and John going into 

the temple. At the gate called Beautiful they met a crippled 

beggar who was known to all the people. Peter took him by the 

hand and said, “‘In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ 

. . . and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong” (Acts 

3:6–7). As the people looked on in astonishment and the crippled 

man leaped and praised God, Peter took this opportunity to 

preach to the onlookers. Once again, he proclaimed Christ and 

forgiveness through His name (Acts 3:17–23).


When the people saw miracles of healing performed by the 

power of God and saw lives changed, they believed that Christ 

could also meet their needs. The church followed the example 

of the apostles. Other believers began to be used in ministry 

gifts. In each case their ministries were like the apostles’ 

ministries (Acts 6:8; 8:4–8). Demons were cast out and cripples 

were healed (Acts 3:6–9). When the people saw the power with 

which the gospel message was preached, they gained faith to 

believe for salvation (1 Corinthians 2:4). There was great joy 

in the hearts of the people. The church grew, and new believers 

were added daily. 

Application 

5 The following passages of Scripture contain statements about 

people believing and the church growing. Read each passage 

carefully. Then in your notebook answer these two questions 

about the event described in each passage: 1) What happened 

to cause the people to believe and the church to grow? 2) Is this 

event an example of the principle of The Authority of Scripture 

or Reliance on the Supernatural that we have studied in this 

section? If so, state which one. 

a) Acts 2:14–35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

b) Acts 2:26–41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

c) Acts 2:46–47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

d) Acts 3:6–7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

e) Acts 8:6–7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

The Church Spread 

Let us examine two important reasons why the church can 

grow in any country or location. 

Through Multiple Leadership 

The church in Jerusalem was well established and growing. 

Then we read in Acts 5:17–41 that persecution of the church


51 

began. After the death of Stephen “great persecution broke out 

against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles 

were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria” (Acts 8:1). 

The church was scattered, but it was not lost. Wherever the 

believers went new churches came into being. How could this 

happen? Because of the following principle: The church is not 

dependent on one person’s personality or authority. Philip went 

to Samaria (Acts 8:4–8), and Barnabas went to Antioch after 

other believers had gone there and formed a church body (Acts 

11:19–23). Other disciples must have gone to Joppa, Ephesus, 

and other cities we read about later. There was always a variety 

of ministries and leaders according to the provision of the Holy 

Spirit (Romans 12:5–8; 1 Corinthians 12:7–11). 

By Flexible Approach 

As Jesus had prophesied, the church grew first in Jerusalem 

(Acts 1:8). Thousands became believers in a short time. Most of 

them had been Jews who were following the Jewish ceremonial 

laws. The Holy Spirit guided the new believers to understand 

that the law was a “teacher” to lead them to salvation by 

faith. When Gentiles became believers, they were accepted 

by the Jewish Christians on the basis of their faith in Christ. 

Both groups learned that the gospel does not require ritual or 

prescribed ceremony but is received by faith in Jesus Christ. 

Application 

6 Carlos is a new believer who had belonged to a very 

ritualistic religion. Now he worries that he is not a good 

Christian because he is not performing religious ceremonies. 

Circle the letter of the verses of Scripture you would use to help 

him. 

a) Romans 1:17 

b) Romans 3:9 

c) Romans 3:24 

d) Philippians 3:9 

e) Titus 3:5 

f) 2 Peter 3:3


7 Briefly state the central truth you want Carlos to know from 

these verses. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

When Paul spoke to the Athenians who had no knowledge 

of God or the Jewish law, he found a common ground on which 

to gain their attention (Acts 17:16–33). He saw their interest 

in philosophical discussions and in exploring new ideas. He 

used their interest in many different religions as an approach 

to preach to them about the true God. In Acts 17:32–34 Luke 

records some of the Athenians saying, ‘‘‘We want to hear you 

again on this subject.’ . . . A few men became followers . . . 

Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, . . . 

and a number of others.” 

Only the truth of salvation, not ceremonies or customs, must 

be taught as the gospel is preached around the world to many 

different peoples. What the early church taught was the truth 

of salvation through Jesus Christ. How people worshipped 

depended on their own culture. The message of the gospel is 

not the rules, rituals, or ceremonies of a particular religion. It is 

a message of being brought into a right relationship with God 

through Jesus Christ. Knowing that one’s sins are forgiven, 

and experiencing the joy of salvation—these have no barriers 

of race, language, culture, or country. That is the power of the 

gospel.


53 

Application 

8 Circle the letter in front of each TRUE statement that 

explains correctly why the church can grow among all people. 

a) The gospel of Christ meets spiritual needs of people 

everywhere. 

b) Believers everywhere should follow the same ceremonies 

when they worship. 

c) Salvation through faith in Christ can be accepted by people 

of all cultures. 

d) The Christian church needs one strong man as leader whom 

all people can follow. 

9 Read question 8 again. For each statement that is incorrect, 

write a short sentence in your notebook explaining why it is not 

correct. 

The Mission Continues 

Organization Developed 

Objective 3. Identify principles of church organization that were 

followed by leaders of the New Testament church. 

At the time of the birth of the church in Jerusalem there 

was no prearranged structure of church organization. Jesus had 

already chosen the apostles who provided leadership for the 

new congregation. Let us examine some principles established 

by the apostles as the church was organized to accomplish its 

mission. 

Organizational structure was developed to meet needs. The 

structure was not made just for the sake of organization; rather, 

it was provided as required by the needs of the church. 

When the church began on the Day of Pentecost, 3,000 

people accepted Christ. Most of them were Grecian (Hellenic) 

Jews. These were people who lived throughout the Roman 

world, outside of Palestine. Although they were still Jews, 

they had adopted much of the Greek culture, and they spoke


the local languages of the region where they lived. There were 

many thousands of the Grecian Jews in the streets of Jerusalem 

on the Day of Pentecost when Peter stood up to preach. 

After the festival of Pentecost, the number of believers 

continued to grow. Soon the number of believers from Judea 

overtook the number of Greek-speaking believers. This caused 

the first administrative problem in the early church. The 

Greek-speaking believers (Acts 6:1) felt their widows were 

being neglected in the daily distribution. The apostles realized 

the problem was deeper than simply having enough help to 

distribute the food. It was a leadership problem which called for 

new organizational structure. 

The apostles told the Greek-speaking believers to “choose 

seven men from among you” (v. 3) whom they could put in 

charge of the distribution. All seven men were members of the 

Grecian group, as is shown by the fact that they had Grecian, 

rather than Aramaic names. These Greek-speaking leaders did 

not replace the authority of the apostles. They simply provided 

direct leadership for their group. This new organizational 

structure was approved by the apostles (Acts 6:6), and it 

provided for a clear line of authority and a smooth functioning 

in the church. 

Local churches were first established in strategic population 

centers. While the Scripture gives us no evidence that the 

apostles sat down together and made an organizational plan for 

church planting, we do know that the Holy Spirit guided them 

in terms of where churches should be established. Some of the 

earliest congregations were founded in places such as Cyprus 

on the main sea route to the west, and in Antioch, a leading city 

in the north. At first they preached only to Jews, but soon after, 

believers traveled from Cyprus and Cyrene and won Greeks 

to Christ (Acts 11:19–20). Churches were also established 

in Derbe, Iconium, Lystra, and other centers in Asia Minor. 

To the west, churches were founded in Corinth and Berea, as 

well as other main cities in the provinces of Macedonia and 

Achaia. The cities and towns in which Paul planted churches 

were centers of Roman administration, of Greek civilization, of


55 

Jewish influence, or of commercial importance. Many travelers 

passed through these cities. It is likely that people heard and 

accepted the gospel while there and then took the message to 

the surrounding areas. 

Many experienced and successful church planters follow 

this same principle today. For instance, in Brazil the church 

has experienced phenomenal growth in recent years. There 

the church leaders plan evangelistic crusades in large cities. 

Many people come into these cities to find work. They have an 

opportunity to hear the gospel and accept the Lord. Later they 

may return to their towns and take the gospel message there. As 

a church is established in a center, it begins to spread out and 

establish churches in the surrounding areas. 

Church finance was a part of worship. Giving offerings 

was a spontaneous act of worship for the early Christians. No 

organization can continue to function without planned and 

accountable financing. There were no pleas and demands for 

offerings, but believers gave from an inward desire of love 

and worship. “All the believers were together . . . Selling their 

possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need” 

(Acts 2:44–45). Paul wrote to the Corinthians that the churches 

in Macedonia: “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing 

joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity . . . 

they gave . . . even beyond their ability” (2 Corinthians 8:2–3). 

When the Christians in Jerusalem were in need, Paul 

instructed the churches in Corinth and Galatia on a systematic 

method of giving and sending offerings. Paul made it clear 

that funds were to be handled in an accountable manner that 

would be above suspicion (1 Corinthians 16:1–4; 2 Corinthians 

8:18–21). 

Paul commented on the generosity of the believers and 

their spontaneous giving to those in the ministry (2 Corinthians 

9:1–5). Those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel. 

The Scriptures reveal that those who receive the blessings 

of hearing God’s Word should help those who minister 

(1 Corinthians 9:7–12).


Application 

10 Read 1 Corinthians 9:10. What is the significant issue of 

Paul’s statement? 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

11 Circle the letter in front of each TRUE statement which 

describes an aspect of the organizational development of the 

church as described in the New Testament. 

a) The New Testament church was developed on the 

organizational pattern of the synagogue. 

b) Churches were first established in population centers and 

then spread from there to surrounding areas. 

c) The apostles selected the leaders for the Grecian Jews. 

d) The leaders of the Grecian Jews were responsible to the 

apostles. 

e) Every believer was required to give a certain amount of 

money to support the church. 

f) The Christian philosophy of giving is stated in 2 Corinthians 

9:7. 

g) The complexity of church organization depends on its 

needs. 

The Church Threatened 

When we read about the church in the New Testament we 

can become awed by the manifestations of power of the Holy 

Spirit, and the great dedication of the leaders. We may tend to 

think of that church as ideal and forget that the apostolic church 

had some very serious problems that threatened its existence. 

The Holy Spirit guided the apostles to record in Scripture the 

principles used to solve the problems which threatened the 

mission of the church.


57 

Administration Problems 

An administrative problem may cause much difficulty in a 

church today, and that was the first type of problem to threaten 

the unity of the early church. Their problem was two-fold, but it 

was overcome by a single solution. 

The apostles were overworked and did not have time 

to see to the details of daily administration. They needed 

assistants to whom they could delegate responsibility for daily 

administration, so they could give themselves more fully to the 

ministry of the Word. This organizational problem was solved 

by setting up lines of authority and delegating responsibility. 

As we studied in the previous section, the seven men chosen to 

assist the apostles worked under their authority. 

The second aspect of the administrative problem in 

Acts 6 concerns the needs of a cultural minority within the 

church. There was a large minority of Greek-speaking Jews 

in Jerusalem. They organized their own synagogues, usually 

according to the regions they lived in before they returned 

to live in Jerusalem. There were 480 such synagogues in 

Jerusalem at that time (according to Talmud). The Jews often 

considered the Grecian Jews to be too worldly because of their 

Greek style of living. They were often viewed as second class 

Jews. This prejudice was partly carried over into the early 

church. It was the Greek-speaking widows who were being 

neglected in the daily distribution, not entirely all the widows. 

So it was not just an organizational problem, it was also a 

cultural problem. 

In solving this problem, certain administrative principles 

can be observed: 1) Leadership responsibility must be partly 

delegated, and clear lines of authority must be established; 2) 

Cultural minorities should be represented in the leadership of 

the church; 3) Leaders should be acceptable to those they lead. 

As the church spread to other areas, a need to communicate 

arose between the apostles and the various groups of believers. 

When false teachers and dissensions began threatening the 

church, a central body was needed to make decisions and then


communicate the decisions to all the members of the body. 

We read in Acts 15 about the important actions of this central 

administrative council that gathered in Jerusalem. This council 

gave us a pattern of effective church administration by which 

the church members can deal with their problems as well as 

enjoy fellowship together. 

What was the pattern of this council? Let us list the main 

points from Acts 15. 

1. The council was headed by the church leaders (v. 6). 

2. The council received delegates and reports from the local 

congregations (vv. 2, 7, 12). 

3. The council discussed problems and came to a majority 

decision (vv. 13, 22). 

4. The council sent authorized delegates with a written report 

of their decision to all the churches (vv. 22–28). 

5. The work of the council brought unity (vv. 30–31). 

Application 

12 Circle the letter in front of each TRUE statement. 

a) Delegation of responsibility is usually a solution for 

overworked administrators. 

b) The early churches’ method for selecting delegates is an 

unsuitable method for churches today. 

c) Minorities are small groups within a larger group; therefore, 

they do not always need representation. 

d) Recognizing the needs of a minority group helped to unify 

the early church. 

e) Delegation of responsibility requires clearly established 

lines of authority. 

f) Minority groups are usually incapable of selecting their own 

leaders. 

13 Is there a national church council (an administrative body) in 

your country? How is it similar to the New Testament pattern? 

How is it different? Write your responses in your notebook.


59 

Personality Divisions 

Human beings seem to have a need for a hero or a dynamic 

leader to follow. This is why some political leaders, whether 

good or bad, can gain a large group of followers. Leaders have 

attracted many people because of their magnetic personalities. 

One of the first problems Paul had to deal with when 

writing to the Corinthian church was the divisive spirit among 

the believers. The believers wanted to claim that they were 

disciples of different great Christian leaders. One of them 

said, “‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still 

another, ‘I follow Christ’” (1 Corinthians 1:12). Paul asked 

them, “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?” (1:13). 

Paul corrected the divisions by pointing out to them that this 

was a very immature attitude (3:1–5). But more importantly, 

he directed the believers to Christ and showed them that all 

disciples are co-laborers together for Christ (3:5–15). Paul’s 

message is clear: The true Christian leader directs people only 

to Christ, never to himself. 

Doctrinal Errors and Wrong Practices 

The apostles used their authority and gifts of teaching to 

correct many types of errors that came into the new church. 

In the letters to the churches new believers were not told that 

they were not true Christians; rather, they were told that they 

needed teaching. That is still the key today: New believers must 

have teaching from God’s Word. The weaknesses that were 

in the Corinthian and Galatian churches are representative of 

problems that must be dealt with today. 

Paul’s teaching corrected wrong practices and established 

a high standard for Christian living. He gave instruction on the 

question of taking a brother to law, on the sanctity of the body 

as a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6), and on dealing 

with problems related to marriage (7:1–15). In 1 Corinthians 

12–14, he gives directions concerning the use (and abuse) 

of the spiritual gifts, particularly speaking in tongues and 

prophecy.


Wherever Paul taught to correct doctrinal errors, he 

emphasized the person and work of Christ. He did this to deal 

with divisions in the church, and especially to refute errors 

about the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12–28). A true 

knowledge and understanding of the doctrine of Christ was the 

very foundation of the church. 

Application 

14 What was the serious doctrinal error Paul was correcting in 

1 Corinthians 15? Write your answer in your notebook. 

15 According to 1 Corinthians 15:14, why was it so urgent that 

Christians understand the correct doctrine on this point? Use 

your notebook for your response. 

Immorality 

In many societies today, sexual immorality is a serious 

problem that can threaten the effectiveness and purity of the 

church. It is impossible for the church to accomplish its mission 

of taking Christ to the world if at the same time it overlooks its 

own sin. 

Paul had to deal severely with a case of gross immorality 

in the Corinthian church. He urged severe discipline for the 

benefit of the erring man, and taught the church that it is 

responsible to judge its own members (1 Corinthians 5:2, 4–5). 

It may seem harsh that Paul instructed the church to “‘expel the 

wicked man from among you’” (5:13). He used the illustration 

that a little yeast can affect the whole batch of dough. In 

verse 7, he urged the believers to “get rid of the old yeast.” 

He showed the Corinthians that dealing severely with sin is a 

means of bringing the sinner to repentance (v. 5). 

Later, he also tells them, “Now instead, you . . . forgive and 

comfort him . . . I urge you . . . to reaffirm your love for him” 

(2 Corinthians 2:7–8).


61 

This is the other side of church discipline. The church must 

hate sin, but love the sinner. Sin must be dealt with, but those 

who do so must make a special effort to encourage and restore a 

repenting brother. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you 

who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, 

or you also may be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). 

False Teachers 

One of the most difficult and divisive problems the early 

church faced was the opposition caused by false teachers. Most 

of these were Jews who were teaching that the Gentile converts 

must keep the Law of Moses and be circumcised in order to be 

Christians. Probably some of these people believed they were 

honoring God’s Word by keeping the Law of Moses. The most 

dangerous kind of false teachers is of this same type today. 

They teach a little bit of truth along with their false teaching 

and so deceive many. 

The problem became so severe that it was taken before 

the council in Jerusalem, where the council made the decision 

recorded in Acts 15. Instead of the false teachers repenting 

and correcting their teaching, they went their own way and 

continued to oppose the church. Paul called these people 

“savage wolves” who will not spare the flock (Acts 20:29). 

The church in Galatia was especially affected, so Paul wrote to 

them to re-establish their faith in the grace of God (Galatians 

3:1–4, 19–20). Once again Paul admonished the church that 

the answer to problems was teaching in the church and a firm 

faith in Christ (Galatians 5:1). Then he reassured them, “The 

only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” 

(Galatians 5:6). 

Application 

16 Have you heard of some false teachers in your area? How do 

they use partial truth to deceive people? Use your notebook. 

17 How can you protect yourself and fellow Christians against 

such teachers? Write your answer in your notebook.


18 Match the type of problem (right) with the scriptural teaching 

(left) that gives guidance for its solution. You may find the verses 

in the Bible and read the entire portions for more understanding. 

. . . . a “Choose seven men . . . full of the 

Spirit . . . We will turn this responsibility 

over to them.” Acts 6:3–4 

. . . b “Is Christ divided?” “We are fellow 

workers.” 1 Corinthians 1:13; 3–9 

. . . c “If you have disputes . . . appoint as 

judges even men of little account in 

the church!” 1 Corinthians 6:4 

. . . d “You must not associate with anyone 

who calls himself a brother but 

is sexually immoral or greedy, an 

idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or 

a swindler.” 1 Corinthians 5:11 

. . . .e “Christ has indeed been raised from 

the dead.” 1 Corinthians 15:12 

. . . f “Your body is a temple of the Holy 

Spirit . . . honor God with your 

body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 

. . . g “Be shepherds of the church of 

God, . . . be on your guard!” Acts 

20:28, 31. “Christ has set us free. 

Stand firm.” Galatians 5:1. 

1) Immorality 

2) Personality 

divisions 

3) Wrong 

practices 

4) Administration 

problems 

5) False teachers 

6) Doctrinal 

errors 

In many ways, the New Testament church was unique. 

However, we know that many principles for planting the church 

were developed then and should be followed by the church in 

every age. If we could summarize briefly two key factors that 

guided the church then and should guide it now, they are: 1) 

the importance of teaching the Word of God, and 2) a constant 

focus on the person and work of Jesus Christ.


63 

self-test 

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Circle the letter of the correct answer to 

each question. 

1 The mission of the church is defined as 

a) sending missionaries to every country. 

b) proclaiming the redemptive purposes of God to all peoples. 

c) building the church of Jesus Christ in my community. 

d) training leaders for the church in all countries. 

2 The apostles were able to build the church rapidly in their 

time because 

a) the Jews were ready to receive Jesus as Messiah. 

b) they were already powerful leaders in the synagogue. 

c) they received the power of the Holy Spirit. 

d) they were respected by government officials. 

3 The growth of the early church was stimulated by the 

apostles’ practice of 

a) quoting the Law of Moses and proving that Jesus followed 

the law. 

b) proclaiming that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus 

were in direct fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. 

c) condemning the Jews for their rejection of Jesus and 

demanding their repentance. 

d) preaching a system of ceremonial worship which appealed 

to all cultures. 

4 The church leaders’ reliance on the power of God is proved 

in Scripture by 

a) miracles of healing, such as the crippled man healed at the 

temple gate. 

b) Philip’s casting evil spirits out of many in Samaria. 

c) the ability of the apostles to speak and understand all the 

languages of the countries where they preached. 

d) the statements in a) and c). 

e) the statements in a) and b).


5 People of all cultures and classes accepted the gospel 

because 

a) the apostles did not reject anyone for his background, but 

presented salvation only by faith in Christ. 

b) the church can adapt all forms of religious worship by 

giving them Christian meanings. 

c) accepting Christ does not require a declaration of belief. 

d) Christianity never involves personal suffering. 

6 Which is NOT a principle of church organization that was 

followed by the New Testament church? 

a) The organizational structure was provided according to the 

needs of the church. 

b) The church was financed by spontaneous, worshipful giving. 

c) All church functions were planned and directed by the head 

apostle, Peter. 

d) Churches were started first in principal cities. 

7 The description in Acts 6 of selecting the first assistant 

leaders demonstrates that leaders must be fitted to the task and 

be 

a) of the same economic status as those they lead. 

b) appointed by someone outside the group to avoid prejudice. 

c) acceptable to those they lead. 

d) able to work independently of their superiors. 

8 The first church council described in Acts 15 set a pattern 

of administration which includes: those in authority as the head 

of the council; delegates and reports brought to the council; 

problems and policies discussed; and 

a) decision taken to hold a council every two years. 

b) authorized delegates reported to the churches, or written 

reports sent to them concerning decisions made. 

c) method established of electing officials. 

d) ordination granted to pastors.


65 

9 Paul wrote to the Corinthians to teach them Christian 

standards relating to certain practices. Which is NOT a 

statement of Paul’s teaching? 

a) A Christian must not take a brother before a heathen court. 

b) The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit; therefore, it must 

be kept pure. 

c) A man should divorce his unbelieving wife. 

d) Church members should judge and discipline sin within the 

church. 

10 Church leaders can prevent personality divisions in the 

church by 

a) frequently changing leadership positions. 

b) calling everyone “brother” and no one “leader.” 

c) quoting John the Baptist, “He must become greater, I must 

become less.” 

d) demonstrating that all disciples are co-laborers together for 

Christ. 

11 Teachers of false doctrine are more likely to deceive 

inquirers when they 

a) have a large amount of financial support. 

b) combine partial scriptural truth with false teaching. 

c) are attractive and have appealing personalities. 

d) have the authority of the government behind them. 

12 The purpose of the letters to the churches (such as Galatians 

and Corinthians) was to refute false doctrine by giving teaching 

to the church and 

a) building a firm faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. 

b) making believers fear the false teachings as “savage 

wolves.” 

c) requiring believers to memorize a standard of faith. 

d) preparing believers for church membership. 

Before you continue your study with Lesson 3, be sure to 

complete your unit student report for Unit 1 and return the 

answer sheet to your instructor.



10 Paul is saying that those who preach the gospel should 

receive some material benefits from their work. 

1 Your answer. It should include: mission is to share the good 

news of God’s redemptive purpose to all peoples, or, is what 

God desires. 

11 b), d), f), and g) are true. 

2 a) The church is to go to all nations and make disciples. 

b) The church must search and find the lost and bring them 

to God. 

c) Do not remain long among those who refuse the gospel, 

but continue on to those you find who will accept. 

12 a), d), and e) are true. 

3 The church began its mission by the power of the Holy 

Spirit. 

13 Your answer 

4 a 1) Messiahship 

b 2) Suffering or resurrection 

c 1) Messiahship 

d 2) Suffering or resurrection 

e 1) Messiahship 

f 1) Messiahship 

g 2) Suffering or resurrection 

h 1) Messiahship 

i 1) Messiahship 

14 He was correcting the false teaching that there was no 

resurrection, and that Christ had not been raised from the 

dead.


67 

5 Your answer should be similar to the following: 

a 1) From Old Testament prophecy, Peter preached Christ 

as the Messiah. 

2) An example of The Authority of Scripture. 

b 1) Peter’s preaching made the people realize their sin 

and need for repentance. 

2) An example of The Authority of Scripture. 

c 1) The believers’ attracted others to believe. 

2) Not an example of either 

d 1) The crippled man was healed. 

2) An example of Reliance on the Supernatural 

e l) Philip did miraculous signs of healing the sick and 

casting out demons. 

2) An example of Reliance on the supernatural 

15 If Christ has not been resurrected, then our preaching is 

useless and faith is in vain. We would be false witnesses 

about God, since apart from Him there is no salvation. 

6 a) Romans 1:17 

c) Romans 3:24 

d) Philippians 3:9 

e) Titus 3:5 

16 Your answer. Perhaps they are persons who have magnetic 

personalities, or they speak very convincingly and deceive 

people. Or possibly they speak a mixture of truth and lies. 

7 Your answer. We cannot earn righteousness. It is received 

only by faith in accepting Christ’s forgiveness and 

righteousness. 

17 Your answer. Perhaps you answered by faithful study of 

God’s Word, by regularly listening to teachers or a pastor 

who teaches from the Bible and exalts Jesus Christ as Savior, 

and by seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

8 a) and c) are true.


18 a 4) Administrative problems 

b 2) Personality divisions 

c 3) Wrong practices 

4) Administrative problems 

d 1) Immorality 

3) Wrong practices 

e 6) Doctrinal errors 

f 1) Immorality 

g 5) False teachers 

9 Your answer should contain these thoughts. 

b) Salvation is based on one’s faith in Christ, not on formal 

ceremonies. 

c) The church has many Holy Spirit anointed leaders with 

Christ as the true Head.


69

2Unit

The Method for 


Lessons 

3 Churches That Govern Themselves 

4 Churches That Start New Churches 

5 Churches That Support Themselves


LESSON 

3 

Churches That 

Govern Themselves 

David and John were happy to talk about the results of their 

work at Gane. “Brother Eyo,” David began, “We have eighteen 

new believers, but we are not sure what to do now. We have 

been leading all the meetings, and the people always want us to 

make all the plans. We think it is time the people begin to make 

plans about doing the work of God. What do you think?” 

“I think God is giving you both good counsel concerning the 

new believers at Gane,” said Brother Eyo. “Let us discuss some 

important things about good local church government.” 

When a group of people has responded to the gospel and 

become believers in Christ, the next important step is to bring 

them into the body of Christ in the form of a local church. This 

lesson will discuss the principles of forming a local church 

that is able to govern itself and continue to grow and fulfill its 

ministry of evangelism and teaching.

C h u r c h e s T h a t G o v e r n T h e m s e l v e s 

73 


The Importance of Self-Government 

The Activities of Self-Government 

The Responsibilities of Self-Government 



1. Explain why self-government should be developed in a local 

church from its beginning. 

2. Identify steps that will enable new believers to prepare 

themselves for the self-government of their local church. 

3. Identify purposes of various business functions as suggested 

for a self-governing church. 

4. State biblical principles regarding corrective discipline in 

the church body. 


1. Study the lesson following the procedure given in Lesson 

1. Be sure to read all Scripture texts given in the lesson, and 

answer each study question before checking the answer. 


answers. 

key words 

advisory discipline recognition 

blatant elder responsibility 

by-laws leadership self-governing 

commitment management self-propagating 

conduct maturity self-supporting 

constitution minutes suspend 

decision 

parliamentary rules



The Importance of Self-Government 

Objective 1. Explain why self-government should be developed in a 

local church from its beginning. 

When a new church is planted, there are three basic goals 

which will help the church planter establish a new church. The 

new church should work to be self-governing, self-propagating, 

and self-supporting. If any one of these goals is neglected, the 

church may not grow successfully. In some areas, churches that 

achieve these goals are called self-reliant or indigenous churches. 

The First Step 

Even though the goal of self-government may be the most 

difficult to achieve, it is very important. The long-term life of 

the church really depends on it. The spiritual responsibility 

that is necessary to accomplish the goals of self-propagation 

and self-support will not be possible without the foundation 

of self-government. If new converts do not develop a sense of 

responsibility for self-government, there may be little or no 

spiritual growth. The new church probably will welcome the 

church planter’s leadership in the beginning, but like a growing 

child, so it will want and need independence. 

It is wise for the church planter to recognize and work with 

the need with right timing, or discontentment may come into 

the church. This and divisions in the church can be prevented 

if plans for self-government are made from the beginning and 

implemented as soon as possible. 

In an area where the Christian message is new to the 

culture, the church planter may assume that the new believers 

are not capable of governing their own church. He may feel 

he must continue to supervise the growing church. However, 

in every society, no matter how primitive, people have a form 

of local government and can understand levels of authority. 

Even without the benefit of formal education, people have the 

common sense to realize some form of leadership is needed


75 

and useful. How much more, then, will believers who have the 

Word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit be able to 

administer the work of their church. 

How a new church begins is the way it may tend to 

continue. If the first believers are allowed to depend heavily 

upon the church planter to make decisions about the church, 

the new believers may continue to depend upon the one who 

led them to the Lord. The new Christians will need help 

and guidance, but it must be guidance in making their own 

decisions in relation to the governing of their church. 

Self-Governing Churches Gain Maturity 

How did the apostle Paul establish churches? He did not go 

out merely to bring sinners to conversion. Paul did not establish 

“outstations” or “missions.” He went out to establish churches 

that could continue to carry the gospel message throughout their 

region. He founded the church in centers where local leaders 

continued the work. We read in Acts that in places where the 

apostles preached they were followed by many others that taught 

and preached the Word of the Lord (Acts 15:35). When Paul 

returned to visit the churches he had founded, “the churches were 

strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers” (Acts 16:5). 

The Scriptures do not give details on how these churches 

were governed or the procedures used to establish a church 

organization. In this lesson we will discuss those teachings given in 

Scripture about the offices and responsibilities in the church. How 

government has been developed in the church will be discussed 

from the experience of those who have successfully planted 

churches in various parts of the world. Their suggestions can give 

you guidelines for adapting methods that can be useful in your area. 

Just as a child matures more adequately if given responsibility, 

so will a new church. A wise church planter teaches the new 

group about the functions and purpose of the church. He teaches 

from the Word about the blessing and necessity of meeting and 

worshipping together, about the importance of studying God’s 

Word, and what it means to be part of the body of Christ. Careful 

and patient teaching will give direction to the new believers on


decisions that can best be made by them. There are many which 

can be made best by the believers because they know their own 

community. For instance, where, when, and how often should 

the new believers meet together? How many of these meetings 

should be for prayer and worship? How many should be for 

teaching? What time of the day or evening should the meetings 

be? In many communities the church has a worship service on 

Sunday morning and Sunday evening. In some cities however, 

the only time the believers can meet is on Sunday afternoon. All 

these decisions can be made by the new believers themselves. 

Making these decisions will help to develop their growing sense 

of responsibility. They will become active in those meetings 

which they have decided are the most necessary. The role of the 

church planter is to teach related portions of Scripture that will 

give guidance in helping the new church make decisions. 

By making their own decisions, new believers learn to 

value the opinions and spiritual maturity of certain ones in 

their own group. As these leaders mature in their abilities, the 

local church is better able to govern itself. Having confidence 

in their own leaders can help promote unity within the body 

of believers. By making its own decisions, the church has an 

opportunity to assume responsibility in handling its own affairs, 

and believers can determine how they can best serve God. 

Application 

1 Certain tasks are involved in the early development of selfgovernment 

in the church. Write 1) in front of those that may best 

be done by the new believers, and 2) if by the church planter. 

. . . a Select the meeting place 

. . . b Decide on the hours for services 

. . . c Teach the necessity of worship and Bible study 

. . . d Decide the frequency and type of services 

. . . e Explain the significance of the body of Christ 

. . . f Conduct the first Bible studies


77 

2 Circle the letter in front of each TRUE statement of why 

self-government is needed in a local church from its beginning. 

a) Self-government is a necessary part of the foundation for 

self-propagation and self-support. 

b) Taking the responsibilities of self-government aids in 

developing the spiritual maturity of the believers. 

c) Self-government is primarily needed to prevent foreign 

cultural influences. 

d) Early self-government may help to prevent discontent 

among able local leaders. 

e) The first purpose of self-government is to eliminate 

unqualified leaders. 

f) Relying on the ability of leaders from within their own 

group can promote unity in the church. 

The Activities of Self-Government 

Acceptance of Standards 

Objective 2. Identify steps that will enable new believers to prepare 

themselves for the self-government of their local church. 

As he gathers a group of new converts together, the church 

planter becomes a teacher to instruct the new believers in the 

doctrines of the Christian faith. One of the purposes of the 

teaching is to help the believers form themselves into a local 

church. What steps can the church planter follow that will help 

the group become an established, self-governing local church? 

First, the converts need teaching that will bring them 

to an understanding that the Christian faith is founded on 

the Scripture. The teaching in 1 Peter 3:15 points out the 

importance of believers having their faith founded in God’s 

Word: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always 

be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to 

give the reason for the hope that you have.” As the believers 

understand the doctrines and apply the teaching, they can begin 

to work together to fulfill the purpose of the church.


Furthermore, it is especially important that biblical standards 

become the believers’ own standards for conduct and beliefs. It is 

not sufficient that they learn a statement of doctrine with a list of 

Scripture references, or a set of rules. New believers need patient 

teaching so that they will understand scriptural requirements and 

apply the teaching. The teaching may require considerable time, 

depending on their needs, until the standards become their own 

convictions. If it is to be their church, it must be their standards. 

As the believers can express their own convictions of 

Christian belief, they have a basis for fellowship in the church. 

For a true church to be formed, there needs to be a standard of 

doctrine and conduct accepted in common by the believers. 

Everywhere in the world today there are false teachers; 

so it is not enough to say that the basis for our fellowship is 

the Bible alone. Many false cults make the same claim. To be 

able to work together as part of the body of Christ, the church 

needs to be in agreement on certain fundamental standards of 

fellowship (1 Corinthians 1:10). For instance, it usually is a 

normal requirement that a person be born again before he or 

she can become a member. And the believer must live in a way 

that indicates a new life in Christ. Depending on the cultural 

background of the area, the believers may come to other 

agreements based on their guidance from Scripture. 

As the church planter is helping the new believers to form 

their church, there may be certain cultural problems that confront 

them. Many of these can be serious problems which may require 

long discussions and patient teaching to help the believers agree 

on biblical standards of handling the problems. For example, 

in some societies are marriage customs that do not conform to 

Christian teaching; in other places such things as cheating on 

taxes, stealing, and bribery are socially acceptable practices. 

In other countries there are legal or social restrictions against 

Christianity. Dealing with such difficult problems requires 

sincere prayer and faithful seeking for the guidance of the Holy 

Spirit. When the believers themselves know the leading of the 

Holy Spirit in these difficult matters, they are better able to 

uphold their standards of belief and conduct.


79 

Application 

3 From the foregoing discussion we learn that new converts 

can be helped to form a self-governing church as they are 

brought to 

a) an understanding that Christian life is based on Scripture. 

b) acceptance of scriptural standards as their own concept of 

conduct and belief. 

c) agreement on points of fundamental doctrine as a basis of 

fellowship in the church body. 

d) all of the above. 

4 (Circle the letter in front of the correct completions.) 

Agreement on standards is necessary for a new church because 

the agreement will 

a) form a basis of church government and fellowship. 

b) give the church planter rules for discipline. 

c) be a help to understand Scripture and prevent error. 

d) help the believers relate doctrine to their daily lives. 

5 The church planter can assist the church to build a firm 

foundation for self-government by 

a) guiding believers to an understanding of scriptural teachings 

which will become their own standards for Christian life. 

b) having believers memorize scriptural standards which teach 

the rules of the church. 

Organizing the Church 

In the book of Acts and in Paul’s letters to the churches, we 

are not given specific details regarding the organization of church 

government. Paul’s letters give the requirements and responsibilities 

for leadership positions in the church, referring to them as elders, 

overseers (bishops), and deacons. Elder was a title used in the 

Jewish temple (Acts 4:23), so it was a position of authority familiar 

to the Jewish Christians. This title was frequently used to indicate 

Christian leaders in the book of Acts. It is apparent that the elders 

had pastoral and administrative positions. The elders worked with 

the apostles in the important decisions made at the Jerusalem council


(Acts 15). Paul reminded Timothy to “not neglect your gift, which 

was given you through a prophetic message when the body of 

elders laid their hands on you” (1 Timothy 4:14). Another position 

mentioned, that of overseer, seemed to include a number of the same 

responsibilities as an elder, and in some references the titles seem to 

be used interchangeably. Acts 20:17 says that Paul sent for the elders 

of the church at Ephesus, and in his farewell to them he admonished 

them to guard themselves and their flock (v. 28). To Titus Paul 

wrote, “an overseer is entrusted with God’s work” (Titus 1:7), and 

“must hold firmly to the trustworthy message . . . so that he can 

encourage others by sound doctrine” (v. 9). Deacons apparently had 

a helping ministry, perhaps as assistants to the elders and overseers 

(Acts 6:1–4). Paul addressed his letter to the Philippians to “the 

saints . . . together with the overseers and deacons” (Philippians 

1:1) indicating that while these were separate positions, the various 

offices worked together. Deacons were required to be men of mature 

spiritual quality (1 Timothy 3:8). We will discuss more about the 

qualifications and responsibilities of church leaders in Lesson 6.


81 

The qualities required of those responsible for the 

government of the church are stated in Scripture (1 Timothy 

3:1–8; Titus 1:6–9), but how the work was to be done is not 

specifically given. Perhaps from this we can learn that the Holy 

Spirit intended that as the church grew throughout the various 

cultures, qualified people would lead in matters of church 

government according to the needs and circumstances of their 

time and culture. 

In the following discussion we will consider some of the 

organizational responsibilities of self-government that has been, 

and is being, done in evangelical churches in various countries. 

These are suggestions that may guide you and may be adapted 

to meet the particular needs of your area. 

Decisions on Membership 

The strength of each local church is in its membership. 

Faithful, well instructed believers will normally produce an 

active, faithful, growing local church. As the church planter 

teaches believers the principles of Christian living, he can 

expect that they will show the fruit of a Christian life. One of 

the first tasks of organizing the church usually is that the church 

decides the requirements for water baptism and membership. 

Some church planters have followed the practice that if a 

church is planted in an area new to the Christian faith, they 

ask an experienced pastor from a neighboring area to assist 

them in examining the first several candidates for baptism. 

They feel that this prevents new believers from having the 

impression that the church planter is solely responsible for such 

decisions. Then, as soon as a sufficient number is qualified for 

membership, a committee of at least three members is selected 

to serve with the church planter as an examining committee 

to approve candidates for water baptism and membership of 

other new believers. It is helpful that this committee be formed 

as soon as the first members are accepted into the new church. 

Those serving on the committee usually know the lives of those 

applying for baptism and membership; consequently, their


decisions are more acceptable to the new converts than if the 

church planter tried to make the decision alone. 

Preparing Leaders in the Church 

Can a new church produce qualified leaders to work within 

the church? If it is to be truly self-governing, obviously the 

leadership must come from among the body of believers. The 

church planter’s goal is to build a self-governing church. So 

from the first group of converts he is alert to recognize those 

who show leadership qualities. He can begin a plan of training 

for them, and usually people who are potential leaders are eager 

to accept responsibility. The process and methods of training 

leaders for work in the church will be discussed further in 

Lesson 6. 

From the record in Acts we see that it was Paul’s method to 

train leaders in the local area. He ministered for an extended 

period of time in the strategic centers, leaving trained leaders 

to continue to minister in an established church. Then he went 

on to minister in another place. He visited the churches in the 

province again after an interval of a few months and in some 

cases it was three years before his next visit. The record of 

Acts 16:4–5 tells us that, “they traveled from town to town . 

. . the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily 

in numbers.” In his letter to Timothy, Paul admonishes, “And 

the things you have heard me say in the presence of many 

witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to 

teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). The letters Paul wrote were to 

established, self-governing churches. 

Selecting a Pastor 

Once there is a group of members in the new church, the 

next step is to select a pastor. If the church planter has made 

his home where the church is located, usually the members 

want him to be the pastor. Since it may be already assumed that 

the church planter should be the pastor, some may question 

why it is necessary to select him as pastor. Sometime in the 

future the church will need to select a new pastor; therefore, it


83 

is helpful for the new church to have the opportunity to learn 

the process by selecting their first pastor. How the believers go 

about deciding on a pastor will probably depend on the local 

customs of selecting leadership. In some churches, members 

meet together and come to a mutual agreement that they will 

invite a given person to be their pastor. Other groups prefer to 

vote, and the majority makes the decision. However it is done, 

the important matter is that the believers agree to work together 

with their pastor to accomplish God’s purpose for the church. 

Boards and Committees 

As the church grows and its members become more mature 

in the matters of conducting the church, they may find it 

helpful to choose different boards and committees to direct 

the ministries of the church. In this way, many groups have 

found that responsibilities of the church can be shared among 

the members. We have already discussed the membership 

committee. There are two other administrative groups that 

many churches have found to be helpful in the church. 

1. Advisory committee: This group may be called by 

other titles in different areas. Some groups have found that in 

the beginning the new church may not have enough qualified 

people to form a board of deacons or elders. In such cases, they 

select a committee to work with the pastor in the church. There 

may be times when the pastor has to be away from the church, 

or in some cases, one person may have to pastor more than 

one church in an area of rapid growth. The advisory committee 

serves to assist the pastor so the new works are not left without 

leadership. 

2. The church board: The qualifications for elders and 

deacons are given in 1 Timothy 3:1–13 and in Titus 1:5–9. By 

whatever title the church leaders are called, these verses list 

their qualifications. Many churches refer to the leaders who 

assist the pastor as deacons, although in this present time, 

their work is more like that of the New Testament elders. 

They usually have some spiritual ministry as well as assisting 

with the general business of the church. In some places, it is


the practice to elect three deacons when the church board is 

first organized, then add another deacon for every fifty new 

members up to the number of nine board members. Usually the 

pastor serves as chairman of the board, and the whole group 

works together as a church council. If the pastor has to be 

away, the senior board member may be in charge of the church 

activities. There may be a second and third deacon appointed 

who also may be in charge if necessary. With this sort of plan, 

there is no question about leadership, and the ministry of the 

church can continue smoothly in the absence of the pastor. 

How the church is governed usually depends on the type of 

government the people are familiar with in their culture. Some 

work best with a system in which all have a voice. In that case, 

decisions are made by voting or some other form of gaining 

agreement among the members. Others are accustomed to have 

one leader they recognize. They trust him to select those who 

will work with him. One precedent we can learn from Scripture, 

however, is that “one man rule” is not the biblical pattern. Acts 

15 records a church council where important decisions were 

made. The apostles were the early church leaders, but they 

worked together with elders of the churches (Acts 15:6, 22). 

Proverbs 15:22 advises, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with 

many advisers they succeed.” 

Obviously, a large church with thousands of members 

will need more committees, boards, or councils, than a small, 

new church of 50 or 100 members. Whatever the number, 

or by whatever name the group is called, we must keep the 

main purpose in mind. That is, groups work together with the 

pastor to accomplish the work of the church. They meet to 

discuss problems confronting the church, to handle business 

and financial matters, to pray, to counsel one another, to make 

plans for expansion and future ministries of the church. Their 

underlying purpose is to do whatever they can to guide the 

church to win the lost and advance the kingdom of God.


85 

Application 

6 Match the self-government activity (left) with the person or 

group primarily responsible (right). 

. . . a Prepares church leaders 1) The membership 

. . . b Selects the pastor 

committee 

2) The church 

. . . c Serves the church, assists the 

pastor with the work of the church 

planter 

3) The church body 

4) The advisory 

. . . d Approves candidates for church committee 

membership 

5) The church body 

. . . e Plans for expansion and future 

ministries 

. . . f Assists church planter with church 

activities early in its development 

7 Based on our discussion of church organization, complete 

the following statements. 

a) Scripture tells us the spiritual requirements of those 

responsible for church government, but not how to govern. 

We can assume the reason is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

b) It is a wise practice that local believers serve with the 

church planter on a membership committee because 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

c) How the church selects who shall be the pastor usually 

depends on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

d) To be called a self-governing church, the leadership comes 

from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

e) The main purpose of a church board (or council) is to 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


The Responsibilities of Self-Government 

Business Sessions 

Objective 3. Identify purposes of various business functions as 

suggested for a self-governing church. 

To carry out the responsibilities of self-government, most 

churches find it necessary to hold church business meetings. 

If the idea of business meetings is new to the people, the 

congregation may need some instruction on parliamentary 

procedure. If it is completely new to the congregation, the 

pastor, or church planter, need not be insistent on following 

all the rules; however, he should give some basic guides. By 

his teaching and example he can show the church body that 

following certain procedures can help accomplish business, aid 

unity, and prevent angry expressions and useless discussions. 

Church Board Meetings 

Many church boards follow the practice of having a meeting once 

a month and calling special meetings whenever necessary. They hold 

a regular monthly meeting and if there is no business to discuss they 

use the time to together, have fellowship or have a short Bible study 

together. This helps them maintain a good working relationship. 

To ensure that the board meeting goes more efficiently, it is 

helpful that the pastor, as chairman of the board, bring a prepared 

agenda. Any of the board members can feel free to add any items 

they wish. Most boards find it useful to appoint one member 

to record all decisions and to keep the minutes with the church 

records. The usual purpose of board meetings is to discuss 

and plan management of church finances, plans for building, 

or gathering information and making plans for changes or 

expansion of the church ministries. They can prepare reports that 

give the needs or the accomplishments of the various ministries 

and present these reports to the church body. The board facilitates 

the ministry of the church when some new project or ministry 

is planned. The board can decide how to go about gathering 

information and making plans and decisions, which then can be 

presented to the church body for approval.


87 

Church Business Meetings 

As a church grows and expands its ministries, it usually 

is necessary to have a church business meeting at least once 

a year, or whenever the church decides a meeting is needed. 

This is a meeting for all the members to attend, and all can 

participate in the meeting. This is usually a time when the 

church body hears financial reports and reports about the 

ministries of the church. It may be a time to receive new 

members, to hear plans or decisions made by the board, and to 

express approval or disapproval of such plans and decisions. 

Some churches hold a business meeting to elect or confirm a 

new pastor. These meetings are important to a church and to 

each of its members. They give the church body an opportunity 

to be informed about the church to participate in decisions, in 

ministry, and to take responsibility. This promotes a feeling 

of responsibility for the ministries and a bond of unity in the 

church. 

Adopting a Church Constitution 

Sometimes a church body decides that it would like to 

have its agreements on how the church is to be governed and 

its decisions regulating standards of fellowship documented 

in written form. This is usually done in the form of a church 

constitution. The constitution states the church’s understanding 

on important biblical doctrines and outlines the qualifications 

for water baptism and church membership. It can include 

whatever the church members feel needs to be kept in written 

form. In some countries the national government requires 

the church to adopt a constitution before it can be officially 

recognized. This may be important in some areas to allow 

marriages to be performed in the church or to allow the church 

to have some representation to the government in case it should 

ever be necessary. 

If there is a national church organization, often it will 

recommend a model constitution for new churches to follow. 

The main purpose for a constitution is to provide a basis for 

fellowship and to promote unity in the work of God. Having


a written standard of doctrine and conduct can help to prevent 

errors in doctrine that may arise at a later time, as well as 

strengthening the church in having a unified purpose. 

Official Recognition 

If there is a national church organization, the new church 

can be officially recognized as part of the fellowship. Usually 

this is a joy and blessing to a new congregation—to experience 

the blessing of being part of a larger fellowship. In many areas, 

especially rural, a highlight of the year is when many churches 

of an area gather for an annual convention. The believers have 

opportunities for wider ministry and know the joy of working 

together with other congregations to spread the gospel. Many 

new believers have been greatly encouraged to learn that they 

are not alone, but part of the worldwide church. 

Application 

8 The business functions of the church are needed to 

accomplish certain purposes. Based on our discussion, match the 

function (right) with its purpose (left). 

. . . a Provides opportunity for wider 

ministry and experience of 

fellowship in a larger body 

. . . b Enables the church body to 

be informed of ministries, 

encourages responsibility, 

promotes unity 

. . . c Plans and facilitates ministry 

of church, records and reports 

finances, does expansion planning 

. . . d Provides a statement of doctrine, 

a standard for membership, helps 

prevent doctrinal error 

1) Church business 

meeting 

2) Board meetings 

3) Official 

recognition 

4) Adopting a 

constitution


89 

The Responsibility of Discipline 

Objective 4. State biblical principles regarding corrective discipline 

in the church body. 

One of the most difficult and unpleasant tasks facing 

church leaders is that of properly administrating corrective 

discipline. When an individual identifies himself as a Christian 

brother, then there is a certain expectation by the church that 

his behavior will be conformed to the biblical standards of 

Christian living. Knowing how and when to confront a church 

member in a disciplinary way requires wisdom and the proper 

attitude and motive on the part of the leadership of the church. 

The proper attitude and motivation for discipline is one of 

genuine care and concern for the offending party and for the 

church fellowship as a whole. Leaders cannot effectively lead 

erring members to repentance if they act critically or project 

the idea that they do not have the brother’s true interests at 

heart. The goal of discipline is restoration through repentance. 

Anything which does not effectively lead toward that goal 

should be avoided. 

Discipline should have a solid biblical basis for determining 

right and wrong behaviors. The seriousness of the offense is 

a factor in knowing how to deal with the problem. Paul was 

faced with the issue of blatant immorality in the Corinthian 

church (1 Corinthians 5) and directed the church to show an 

open rejection of that sinful act since it was hurting the entire 

church reputation. The sinning man was to be expelled from the 

congregation, turned over to Satan for his sinful nature to be 

confronted, and eventually brought back into fellowship with 

the church after repentance (2 Corinthians 2:5–11). 

However, Paul had to deal with other issues of discipline 

which were not considered to be of such moral harm to either the 

offending parties or to the church body. The church leaders in 

Thessalonica (2 Thessalonians 3:6–13) asked Paul how to discipline 

people who would not work in order to earn their own livelihood 

and had become troublesome gossips and busybodies. Rather 

than expel them from the congregation, Paul urged that they be


confronted with their irresponsible behavior and requested to settle 

down and find a job, rather than become an undue burden on others. 

Discipline is an issue for the church and not only for the pastor. 

There may be minor issues that a loving pastoral visit can resolve; 

however, the pastor must be wise to restore the individual. Issues 

which involve the entire church may not be handled as privately as 

the pastoral visit. In this case the pastor needs the open support of 

other leaders and the congregation. Upon thoroughly investigating 

the charges against a church member, if it is found by the pastor that 

the charges are true, then collectively the pastor and church leaders 

should confront the offending party to resolve the issue (Matthew 

18:15–17). The offending brother or sister should be able to see 

clearly from the Scripture that he or she is sinning against God, and 

that the church leaders are concerned with keeping that person in 

fellowship with God through obedience. These issues include such 

things as people who spread false doctrines, troublemakers, and 

those involved in immoral practices (Titus 1:10–13). 

The primary motive behind discipline is to restore the offending 

brother after sincere repentance. Discipline need not be destructive; 

rather, with the proper attitude on the part of the leaders, discipline 

can be a very positive part of the growth and development of the 

individual and the group. When someone has repented of a sin 

which is of public concern to the church, it may be necessary for 

the repentant member to show the others the sincere nature of that 

repentance. A brief, but sufficient, time of proving one’s self to the 

others that he has truly changed inwardly and seeks to be restored 

to fellowship may be required of that brother. The offending, but 

repentant, brother should find a loving and caring attitude being 

expressed to him from the church leaders and other members of the 

church. Galatians 6:1–2 teaches, “If someone is caught in a sin, you 

who are spiritual should restore him gently . . . Carry each other’s 

burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” 

Jesus confronted Peter after Peter lied about knowing Jesus 

(John 18:15–27; 21:15–19). Peter had failed his Lord, his 

group, and himself. Jesus waited for the right moment before 

approaching Peter about the issue. With great wisdom, He 

gently began to restore Peter by questioning him about his love


91 

and commitment. In the end, Jesus resolved the issue, restored 

Peter’s dignity, and let him know that he had an important role 

in the ministry of the church. 

Jesus’ example teaches the important issues of discipline. 

There needs to be proper understanding of the offense. With 

the right attitude and motive, Jesus waited for the right time 

to approach Peter. Jesus allowed the failure to speak to Peter 

rather than bringing up all the charges. The questions Jesus 

asked forced Peter to examine his love for the person of his 

Lord rather than explain why he had failed. Jesus tenderly gave 

Peter his self-esteem back by assigning him a role which let 

Peter know he was important and needed. 

Application 

9 Circle the letter of each TRUE statement of biblical 

principles regarding corrective discipline in the church body. 

a) The primary motive for corrective discipline must be love 

and concern for the offending one and for the church as a 

whole. 

b) Expectations of Christian behavior must be based clearly on 

scriptural teachings. 

c) According to the Corinthian letter, the only method of 

discipline for the sinning member was expulsion from the 

congregation. 

d) The primary goal of corrective discipline is to cause 

repentance and bring restoration to Christ and fellowship in 

the body of Christ. 

e) The church body as a whole has a responsibility to deal with 

sin in the church in order to correct the problem and its cause. 

f) When a member has repented and is restored to the church 

body, he should not be given spiritual ministry since he may 

fail again. 

g) Helping the offending member clearly understand from 

Scripture that he has sinned against God is a step toward 

restoration. 

h) Discipline with the right attitude promotes spiritual maturity 

in the individual disciplined and the church as a whole.


10 Read John 21:15–19 again. In these verses Jesus shows an 

attitude of love and care in corrective discipline. What is the most 

important goal of corrective discipline demonstrated when Jesus said, 

“Feed my lambs . . . Take care of my sheep . . . Feed my sheep”? 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Growth in Spiritual Maturity 

We have discussed previously in this lesson that a church 

that is able to assume the responsibilities of self-government 

is becoming spiritually mature. The church that is gaining 

spiritual maturity is blessed as a whole, and also each member 

is blessed by the opportunity to grow spiritually. 

Those members who take the responsibility to be teachers, 

or serve on committees, or as board members can share the 

blessing of working together in the work of God. At first, they 

will probably need guidance and teaching from the pastor on the 

importance of prayer and seeking God’s guidance in the work 

they have to do. There may be some who need help in learning 

to work cooperatively. As they form habits of seeking God’s 

guidance in church work, they have the opportunity to learn to 

pray about all phases of their lives. Learning the importance of 

waiting on God in prayer is an important step in spiritual growth. 

A self-governing church is able to develop a pattern of 

leadership from within the congregation. When the church 

has elders or deacons from within its own membership, the 

members can have the assurance of a continuity of leadership. 

If the pastor is called away or must leave unexpectedly, the 

church will not be left to flounder without a leader. The work of 

the church can continue while awaiting the return of a pastor. 

When a new believer experiences the joy of salvation, usually 

his first reaction is to tell others. The wise church planter or


93 

pastor will channel this joyful zeal with Bible teaching and help 

the new believers learn to teach and witness to others. As the 

believers take the responsibility of teaching in the church and 

witnessing to those around them, they need to learn the value 

of studying the Word of God. As they are properly taught, their 

love for the Word will grow. They will learn the necessity and 

blessing of regular Bible study. Members who are well grounded 

in Bible teaching help one another and contribute much to the 

spiritual maturity of the church. 

Maturing churches, like individual maturing Christians, are 

not only concerned with themselves but also with developing 

a loving concern for the souls of the lost around them. The 

result is a desire to share the good news with those who have 

not heard the gospel. The church planter’s aim is not only a 

self-governing church just for the sake of building a self-reliant 

church, but also to establish a body of maturing Christians who 

are able to carry out the purpose of the church in evangelism 

and building up the body of Christ. 

Application 

11 Circle the letter in front of each TRUE statement concerning 

benefits a self-governing church may provide to individual 

members. 

a) A member who feels responsible for the functioning of the 

church (such as a board member) is likely to become more 

involved in prayer and intercession for God’s guidance. 

b) Those involved in leadership functions will devote 

themselves only to the Lord and will withdraw from contact 

with people. 

c) Members who feel responsible for teaching and witnessing 

recognize the need for and blessing of regular Bible study. 

d) Promotion of individuals with natural leadership is the 

primary purpose of self-government. 

e) Self-government responsibilities help to assure the 

congregation of continuity in church leadership.


self-test 

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Circle the letter in front of the best 

answer to each question. 

1 The goal of church self-government is to 

a) prevent foreign influence. 

b) promote national pride. 

c) establish the church for future growth. 

d) preserve self-identity. 

2 Church self-government is the foundation needed 

a) to build a self-supporting, self-propagating church. 

b) to develop national church leaders. 

c) for cooperation of the church body. 

d) to recognize the ability of the local people. 

3 Paul’s method of establishing self-governing churches was to 

a) send well-trained leaders from Jerusalem. 

b) train local leaders, leave them in charge, then make 

occasional visits. 

c) train local leaders and ask them to send him frequent 

reports. 

4 A church needs self-government early in its development 

primarily to 

a) promote growth of spiritual ministries and respect for its 

own leaders. 

b) prevent discontent among those who want to be leaders. 

c) allow the church planter to go to work in another area. 

d) be separate from another church. 

5 Having agreement of standards of doctrine will enable the 

church to 

a) become part of an organized fellowship. 

b) have a basis of fellowship and prevent doctrinal error or 

controversy. 

c) function as a center for evangelism. 

d) prevent divisions in leadership.


95 

6 Disciplining a member who has sinned is effective if the 

result is to 

a) protect the testimony of the church. 

b) allow the church to demonstrate its righteousness. 

c) restore the member to a right relationship with God. 

d) prevent disagreements in the church. 

7 Which is NOT a good practice for the deacon board to follow? 

a) It has a regular monthly meeting time. 

b) The pastor has a prepared list of discussion items. 

c) The pastor does not vary from his or her discussion list. 

d) A written record is kept of all board decisions. 

8 It is important that the church members agree on a standard 

of Christian conduct for the following reasons EXCEPT to 

a) teach biblical standards of Christian living. 

b) prevent unworthy persons from becoming members. 

c) demonstrate the Christian testimony of the church. 

d) help believers relate biblical teaching to their daily lives. 

TRUE-FALSE. Write T in the blank space if the statement is 

TRUE, and write F if the statement is FALSE. 

. . . 9 The deacons of the church have the primary 

responsibility to assist the pastor in serving the church. 

. . . 10 If all members of the deacon board agree on a decision 

it is not necessary to write it in the minutes. 

. . . 11 An effective standard of doctrine is for a church to state 

that it believes all of the Bible. 

. . . 12 The church planter should help the church in its 

beginning by making the members’ difficult decisions 

for them. 

. . . 13 A church with good self-government will be better 

prepared to be a self-supporting church. 

. . . 14 Evidence that self-government promotes spiritual 

maturity is shown by the church members’ desire to 

participate in the ministries and financial support of the 

church.


. . . 15 Paul’s method demonstrates that a primary leadership 

responsibility of the church planter is to train others for 

leadership. 

. . . 16 The responsibility of the membership committee is to 

present a list of membership applicants to the church 

planter for approval.


97 


6 a 2) The church planter 

b 3) The church body 

c 5) The church board 

d 1) The membership committee 

e 5) The church board 

f 4) The advisory committee 

1 a 1) New believers 

b 1) New believers 

c 2) Church planter 

d 1) New believers 

e 2) Church planter 

f 2) Church planter 

7 Your answers may be similar to these thoughts: 

a) that the Holy Spirit intended that qualified men would 

seek His guidance for their time and culture. 

b) they know their local people; their decisions would be 

more acceptable than those of the church planter alone. 

c) their customary methods of selecting leaders. 

d) within the local body of believers. 

e) work with the pastor to accomplish the work of the 

church. Or you may have said: They meet to discuss 

problems, pray, counsel, plan expansion, or do all they 

can to guide the church to win the lost and advance the 

kingdom of God. 

2 a), b), d), and f) are true. 

8 a 3) Official recognition 

b 1) Church business meeting 

c 2) Board meetings 

d 4) Adopting a constitution 

3 d) all of the above. 

9 a), b), d), e), g), and h) are true. 

4 a) form a basis of church government and fellowship. 

c) be a help to understand Scripture and prevent error. 

d) help the believers relate doctrine to their daily lives.


10 Peter knew he was fully restored to fellowship with his Lord 

and among his brothers. Jesus was giving him his place in 

the work of God. He was entrusted with work to do for the 

Lord. 

5 a) guiding believers to an understanding of scriptural 

teachings which will become their own standards for 

Christian living. 

11 a), c), and e) are true.


99


LESSON 

4 

Churches That Start 

New Churches 

“Praise God, Brother Eyo! God is helping us to organize 

a strong church, and more people are becoming believers 

every week,” said David as he and John brought their monthly 

report. “So many are coming we can hardly meet in the same 

room. Brother Lanka is helping us prepare the believers for 

membership and water baptism.” 

“It sounds like God is building His church in Gane,” replied 

Brother Eyo. “It is time now that you teach the church its 

responsibility of witnessing and starting other churches. The 

people are witnessing in their community, but not far from 

Gane there are towns that need churches also. The Lord wants 

each new church to start other new churches.” 

When a group has been formed into a self-governing local 

church, its responsibility does not stop there. As part of the 

body of Christ, the church must learn that its mission is to plant 

other churches. This lesson will guide you in the steps that will 

teach new believers how they themselves can have a part in 

starting new churches.

C h u r c h e s T h a t S t a r t N e w C h u r c h e s 

101 


Self-Propagation Required 

Self-Propagation Planned 

Self-Propagation Continued 



1. Identify characteristics of a self-propagating church. 

2. Discuss methods of evangelism and planning steps required 

to start a new church. 

3. State the steps in planting a church. 

4. Indicate goals of the new local church. 

5. Discuss the benefits to the local church in the propagation of 

the church worldwide. 


1. Study the lesson following the procedure given at the 

beginning of Lesson 1. Read all the Scripture texts and 

answer each study question before checking your answer. 


answers. 

key words 

campaign 

fervor 

goal 

interact 

intercessory 

outreach 

prejudice 

propagate



Self-Propagation Required 

Objective 1. Identify characteristics of a self-propagating church. 

Do you remember from Lesson 1 the two basic functions of 

the local church? They are evangelism and teaching. Also, the 

Lord gave ministry gifts to the church to help it carry out His 

command. Ephesians 4:12 shows that ministry gifts are given 

“to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body 

of Christ may be built up.” 

It is not enough that a church be able to govern itself and 

make decisions regarding its ministries. To fulfill its scriptural 

purpose, the church must also be self-propagating. A selfpropagating 

church is one that helps to plant new churches. It 

is one that brings the lost to Christ (evangelism) and prepares 

God’s people for works of service (teaching). It has the 

characteristics described in Matthew 28:19–20 and Ephesians 

4:12. As believers are prepared for service, they will win others 

to Christ. The result is that the body of Christ is built up, new 

believers are added, and other new churches are started. Thus, 

the church propagates other local churches. This is the method 

by which the church has been extended throughout the world. 

Just as a plant has to be living and growing to re-propagate 

itself, so must a local church have life. What are the evidences 

that a church is spiritually alive and therefore self-propagating? 

In a church that has spiritual vitality, the members have an 

active love and concern for those around them. They pray for 

guidance of the Holy Spirit and look for ways to win the lost. 

Classes are held to prepare members for personal evangelism 

and to teach new believers. Plans for evangelism are carried 

out. Bible study classes are held regularly. Preaching of the 

Word, prayer, and praise are prominent in the church. New 

believers are continually added (Acts 2:47, 5:14), and the 

church looks for areas where new local churches may be 

planted. As we continue this lesson we will discuss some 

methods that may help in the task of planting new churches.


103 

Application 

1 In your own words define a self-propagating church. Use 

your notebook for your response. 

2 Circle the letter in front of the statement that most clearly 

expresses the characteristics of a self-propagating church. 

a) A self-propagating church has an efficient planning program 

which attracts unbelievers to participate in worship services. 

b) The first purpose of a self-propagating church should be to 

protect the church body from sinful influences. 

c) A self-propagating church endeavors to take the gospel to 

sinners, prepares believers for Christian service, and extends 

and builds up the body of Christ. 

Methods for Planting Churches 

Objective 2. Discuss methods of evangelism and planning steps 

required to start a new church. 

As the believers in the New Testament church were 

scattered out from Jerusalem, they preached the gospel 

wherever they went (Acts 8:4). As they went from place to 

place they used different methods of evangelism. Today, just as 

then, no single method will work equally well everywhere. 

We will talk about four of the methods used by church 

planters with good success in various parts of the world. As you 

study these various methods, think about how each could be 

used in your area. 

Small Group Evangelism and House Churches 

The meeting of small groups is often used as the major method 

of making new disciples and gathering them into local churches. 

The believers in the New Testament, of course, did not have church 

buildings but met for fellowship and evangelism in people’s homes 

(Acts 5:42). In some parts of the world, especially in politically or 

socially restricted countries where believers cannot meet publicly, 

the church has begun in private homes and multiplied greatly. Even 

in areas where there is no political restriction, there may be some


people who are not willing to go to a church; generally they will 

attend a gathering in a home. Believers and unbelievers alike are 

invited to share in prayer and reading and discussing God’s Word. 

This is also an effective method in areas where believers can meet 

together in church buildings. In some very large churches in big 

cities it is very difficult for people to travel to a central meeting 

place on weekdays, so they meet in “cell groups” in various homes 

throughout the city. The spiritual fellowship helps believers and 

attracts unbelievers to Christ. Many people have been won to 

Christ by this method. 

Application 

3 Use your notebook in answering the following items: 

a) List three advantages of small group or house church 

evangelism. 

b) How could this method be used in your area? 

Personal Work 

Personal work describes the work of an individual who talks 

to another person, usually on a one-to-one basis, about salvation 

through Christ. It may also be called personal witnessing, that 

is, telling about your own experience of salvation. Jesus said, 

“‘You will be my witnesses’” (Acts 1:8). To witness is to give 

proof, and personal proof is a powerful testimony. If people see 

that Christ has done something good for you, they are likely to 

be interested in what you have to say. 

Churches can be started because at least one person becomes 

burdened to make disciples by personal contact in a certain 

place. A Christian who studies and applies God’s Word, whether 

a new convert or mature Christian, may be led by the Spirit to 

do personal witnessing for Christ. The witnessing may be to 

co-workers at a job or students at a university. A believer may 

feel called to go to another village or nearby town to stay there 

and win souls by personal contact. It is important to encourage 

new believers to do personal witnessing because they will have 

many friends who are still unbelievers. It will help them grow in


105 

faith rapidly and the joy of their newly-found salvation will be 

effective in helping others accept Christ also. Those who respond 

and accept Christ’s salvation are gathered together to become the 

beginning group of a new local church. Since the person works 

alone, at first, this type of church planting can be very difficult. 

The person who is led by the Spirit to do personal work, like 

Philip (Acts 8:26–34), may never know the end result of his 

witnessing. The important fact is that he obeyed God. 

Application 

4 Read the following verses from your Bible. In front of each write 

the number of the method of evangelism being used. Write 1) for 

personal work and 2) for the small group or house church method. 

. . . a Acts 8:26–37 

. . . b Acts 10:24–33 

. . . c Acts 16:13–15 

. . . d Philemon 1–3 

Evangelistic Campaigns 

In many parts of the world, evangelistic campaigns are used 

effectively to start new churches. The campaigns may be doorto-door 

witnessing, preaching meetings in a church, a rented 

auditorium, a tent, a stadium, or simply an open field. Meetings 

in public areas hold many advantages. For instance, people who 

are prejudiced against entering a place of worship will listen 

in the open air or public building. A method used effectively in 

some places is to bring a group of Christians from other areas 

who give their personal testimony to Christ’s power to change 

lives. Usually a group of people will gather to listen to someone 

tell about personal experiences. On occasions such as this, there 

can be opportunities for preaching simple gospel messages to 

present the way of salvation. Romans 10:14 asks, ‘‘How can 

they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how 

can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Pray and


trust the Holy Spirit to lead you to use the right methods at the 

right time to reach the lost. 

Whatever method we use to present the gospel, it must first be 

under the anointing and direction of the Holy Spirit. This means 

making a habit of seeking the Lord in prayer, and then making plans 

and preparations for whatever way we can most effectively follow 

His guidance. The Holy Spirit will anoint those who desire to work 

for the Lord and He will give faith to the hearers to believe. But it is 

our responsibility to study God’s Word, devote ourselves to prayer, 

and be prepared as best we can to do God’s work. 

If you would like to study methods of evangelism in greater 

detail, you may take the course Sharing the Good News, 

which is also part of the Christian Services series you are now 

studying. 

Mother-Daughter Church Planting 

The mother-daughter church planting method can be likened 

to the system by which strawberry plants grow. Strawberries 

are plants which grow close to the ground. They spread by 

sending out runners (or shoots) in different directions. As these 

stems grow outward from the central mother plant, they send 

down roots at a point away from the mother plant. A new set 

of leaves sprouts from the new roots. Eventually the stem dries 

up and the new plant gets its strength only from the new roots. 

The new plant then sends out runners, becoming a mother plant 

itself. This continual process of mother-daughter plants causes 

strawberry plants to spread quickly over a large area. 

A church that is established and growing usually has some 

people who live farther from the church than others. The 

members may be living in an area that is growing in population 

but has no church. The established church then decides to 

become a “mother” and start a “daughter” church in the new 

area. The mother church will organize a team of church planters 

to witness and preach. Those who live in the area will be leaders 

and helpers in the effort. Their homes may be used for meetings. 

If the local law permits, preaching and singing in open air 

meetings may be used to win new believers. As new believers are


107 

gathered, the people from the mother church who live in the area 

join with them to organize the new church. During this process, 

other groups from the mother church come to sing, witness, and 

help in the effort. The mother church may also help pay for the 

preaching campaign in the area. As soon as the new group is 

strong enough, it can be organized into a self-governing church. 

Then it is the responsibility of the new church to teach believers 

to develop their ability to “mother” new churches in other areas. 

Application 

5 Match the evangelism method that could best be used by the 

Christians in each situation. 

. . . a John is the only Christian at his 

army station. 

. . . b Sue’s neighbors like to chat and 

have coffee at her house. 

. . . c Many unsaved people will be 

coming to the football match in 

the city. 

. . . d Sam travels one hour to and from 

work by train. 

. . . e Twelve kilometers from Central 

Church a new population center 

is growing. 

1) Evangelism 

campaign 

2) Personal work 

3) Mother-daughter 

church 

4) Small groups 

Self-Propagation Planned 

Objective 3. State the steps in planting a church. 

Steps to Church Planting 

Along with selecting the most appropriate method of 

evangelism for your area, much planning is needed to accomplish 

the goal of planting new churches. Recall the two-fold purpose of


the local church: 1) to have ministries that teach believers and build 

up their faith, and 2) to make disciples and teach them to witness 

and bring others to Christ. This is the self-propagating principle 

that keeps churches multiplying. 

All believers may have a part in witnessing and winning people 

to Christ. They do not have to be experienced and mature believers. 

According to his or her ability and talent, each believer can have 

a part in taking the gospel to the lost. We should not think that 

only those who can preach or witness in public are the ones who 

can evangelize. There are many other tasks that need to be done in 

order to take the gospel to those who have not heard. There may 

be some who have the talent to teach other believers how to use 

the Scripture to lead a person to Christ. When a public meeting 

is planned, someone is needed to prepare posters or take care of 

advertising. There may be others who have the skills to build a 

platform or benches, if needed, for an outdoor meeting. And some 

can devote themselves to further intercessory prayer. All believers 

can have a part in the planning steps of starting the new church, 

and each one needs to feel that his part is important. The following 

steps will help you in the ministry of starting new churches. These 

steps can apply also for the individual church planter who may 

have to work alone to take the gospel to a new area. 

Step 1: Prayer 

The first thing believers should do as they make plans for 

starting a new church is to plan prayer into all the work schedule. 

Church planters need the power of God to combat “the powers of 

this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil” (Ephesians 

6:12). This is not possible in human strength alone. Pray in faith, 

not in fear. We preach the gospel by the command of Christ and in 

His power (Matthew 28:19–20; 2 Timothy 4:1–2). He wants His 

laborers to gather, the fruit of the harvest He has promised (Luke 

10:2) and to do so in triumph (Colossians 2:15; 1 John 4:4). 

As well as having private times of prayer, one may find it 

beneficial to meet together as a body at regularly announced 

times to pray. As the church prays together, the Holy Spirit will 

give guidance in the plans.


109 

Step 2: Study the Local Population 

Once you have determined the group of people you feel God 

wants you to reach, you may find it helpful to study that group 

carefully. You may already know the people well. You may 

have been just like them before you accepted Christ. 

First, define how the people are different from the people of your 

own group. Even if they are of the same group, becoming a believer 

has made you different in your attitudes and behaviors than you 

were as an unbeliever. You see the world and people differently than 

before. Second, you need to define how the people are the same as 

your own group. What things may be important to them which are 

still important to you even after you have accepted the Lord? Finally, 

it is important to become acquainted with social customs or legal 

requirements that may affect your presentation of the gospel. 

Application 

6 Think of the group of people where you want to start a church. 

Copy this chart in your notebook, leaving plenty of space to write 

your answers. Then fill in as much as you can learn about the people. 

Subject 

1. Language 

2. Kind of work 

3. Where they live 

4. Education 

5. Religion 

6. Social customs 

and rules 

How the Group is 

Different From 

Our Group 

How the Group is 

Like Our Group 

After you have filled in the chart, study it to learn what special 

problems you may face in trying to start a church among the target 

people. Write these problems in a list on one side of a piece of 

paper. Then as you pray or meet with the other workers to pray, take


these problems to God in prayer. Seek to find a spiritual solution 

to spiritual problems, and practical solutions to practical problems. 

As you agree together on the solutions to overcome problems, 

write your plans on the other side of the paper. Trust in God for the 

solutions and prepare to be successful as you implement your plans. 

Step 3: Determine the Spiritual Needs 

Every person has spiritual needs. Many people may not 

recognize that the needs they feel are an indication of spiritual 

need. They may feel lonely, unhappy, or futile. Some may 

have fears, but they may not be able to explain the cause of 

these fears. They may fear death, wars, or financial failure. 

In some places people feel they are bound by obligations to 

follow customs that have been practiced by their families for 

generations, and these customs may be oppressive to them. 

Some people have no concept about God, and others may have 

concepts that are different from Christian teaching. 

When you plan to take the gospel to a new area, learn everything 

you can about the spiritual attitudes of the people. Even if the people 

know a lot about the gospel, try to record all you can about their 

spiritual concept. This will help you plan better how to present Christ 

to them as the Savior, the one who can help them meet their needs. 

Application 

7 Think about the people in the area where you might want 

to plant a church. In your notebook answer as many of the 

following questions as you can about these people. 

a) What is the religion of most of the people? 

b) What do the people believe about: 

1) Jesus Christ? 

2) Sin: Is man’s nature sinful? If man sins, whom does he 

wrong—God? Man? or both? 

3) Heaven, hell, and eternity? 

4) God and His creation? 

5) Satan and evil spirits? 

c) Do they have fears about their ancestors?


111 

Now notice how many questions you could not answer for 

sure. It would be better to find the answer to these questions 

before you try to witness among these people. 

If you were able to answer all the questions, you probably 

know the people quite well. Perhaps they believe what you did 

before you became a follower of Jesus. The Holy Spirit will 

help you use this knowledge to determine the most successful 

way to preach the gospel to them. In Hebrews 4–10 this is 

illustrated. The writer used the knowledge the Jews had of 

the Law of Moses to show them that Christ was the “once for 

all” sacrifice for sin and that He is the great high priest of the 

new covenant. Also, Paul appealed to the Athenians’ desire for 

knowledge about new ideas as a means to teach them about the 

true God (Acts 17:21–23). 

Step 4: Revise Plans As Needed 

Occasionally things do not work out exactly as planned; 

therefore, a good plan needs to be flexible. It may be that part 

of the plan works well up to a certain time, but then it must be 

changed to meet special needs. The leaders must be aware that 

this often happens, and they must be willing to change any part 

of the plan as the work continues. 

Application 

8 In your notebook, write in a column at the left of the page 

a list of the four steps that can help in starting a new church, 

as discussed in the text. Leave three or four lines between each 

step. After each step, briefly state what you may expect to be 

accomplished that will help in starting a new church. 

Goals of the Church 

Objective 4. Indicate goals of the new local church. 

Depending on the times, the culture, and the location, there 

may be different methods used to win the lost and gather them 

into a church body. But wherever and whenever a church is


planted, there are certain goals to work toward which will help 

to give a church a good beginning. Working to accomplish 

these goals from the start will help a church attain the purpose 

which God has intended. These goals are five basic functions of 

the church: 

1. Make disciples. When Jesus gave His disciples the 

command recorded in Matthew 28:19, He did not say that they 

should go preach. Rather, He said, “‘Go and make disciples.’” 

A disciple does much more than just listen to his master or 

teacher. A disciple accepts and believes the teaching of a 

master, and then assists in spreading the teachings to others. 

A disciple becomes identified with, or is like, the master. The 

ultimate nature of Jesus’ teaching is love, so Jesus said to His 

disciples, “‘All men will know that you are my disciples, if you 

love one another’” (John 13:35). 

Bringing others to Christ is another way in which His 

disciples identified with the Lord. Jesus said, “‘This is to my 

Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to 

be my disciples’” (John 15:8). To bring others to be disciples of 

our Lord requires sincere commitment on the part of those who 

preach and witness the gospel. As Paul expressed in Romans 

9:3, he was willing to lose all to bring his Jewish brothers to the 

Lord. Paul’s whole life was centered on doing God’s will, and 

he encouraged those to whom he wrote to follow his example 

(1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:14, 17). The biblical teaching 

for the church is not only to sow the seed of God’s Word but 

also to bring hearers to confess Christ, to identify with Him 

as their Lord. Romans 10:9 teaches, “If you confess with your 

mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ . . . you will be saved.” 

2. Gather believers together. An experienced church planter 

once told about a group of Christians who wanted to give the 

Christian witness to all the earth. They felt they should carry 

out Jesus’ command to preach the gospel to all nations. They 

hurried from place to place but did not stay long enough in 

any place to form the converts into a church or give them 

any teaching necessary to carry on church life. As a result, 

after years of work very little permanent results remained.


113 

These people had failed to realize that though evangelism is 

important, the goal of evangelism is to establish the church 

of Jesus Christ. New believers need spiritual fellowship and 

training (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 10:25). Plans should include 

the where, when, and how of bringing the believers together 

regularly. 

3. Interact with the community. New believers should be 

encouraged to maintain contact with the unbelievers of their 

community. Planning may include ways to show Christian 

testimony and, as much as possible, maintain the influence of 

the new believers in their community (Matthew 5:13–17; John 

17:11, 15, 18). This will help the new believers to witness to 

others for Christ and also lessen any persecution that may result 

from their decision to follow Christ (Acts 2:47). 

4. Organize the believers. According to the principles we 

learned in Lesson 3, a group of believers organized as a selfgoverning 

church can more effectively accomplish the purpose 

and ministries of the church. The local church is the means God 

has chosen to build up believers (Ephesians 4:12; 2 Timothy 

3:16), teach them doctrine, and teach them how to give and 

how to serve God in the fellowship of the body of Christ. Each 

group of believers can select the form of organization which 

suits its needs. The purpose of organization is to help the local 

church have a plan for teaching, witnessing, training workers, 

and to do whatever is needed to enable the body to work 

together in ministry for Christ. 

5. Teach outreach. As the new believers see the purpose 

of the church planters in trying to make disciples in their own 

community, they too can have a part in the work and joy of 

bringing others to Christ. These new believers should be trained 

and invited to join the different teams of church planters. This 

will provide practical training, which is important in continuing 

the outreach of the church (Luke 10:1; Acts 1:8; 2 Timothy 

2:2). Also, it can help to develop leaders among the new 

believers and help the church to grow faster.


As you are making plans to start a new church, perhaps you 

may find that another method, besides the four we discussed at 

the beginning of the lesson, will be better for your area. As you 

pray and seek God’s guidance, trust the Holy Spirit to lead you 

in the plans that will be best for you. 

Application 

9 Read over what you have written for questions 6 and 7. In 

your notebook start a list of possible plans you would make for 

starting a new church. In another paragraph list the goals for the 

church. Compare the plans and goals. Write ideas about how 

you think they will work among the people where you wish to 

start a church. Think of any unique or unusual circumstances 

that may occur. Also, you may like to start a list of specific 

needs for prayer. 

10 According to the discussion in the lesson text, circle the 

letter of each TRUE statement of an action which can help attain 

biblical goals for a new church. 

a) As many people as possible must hear the gospel at least once. 

b) Those who accept the gospel are encouraged to declare 

publicly their acceptance of Christ. 

c) New believers are gathered in groups for regular teaching 

and fellowship. 

d) New believers will have to isolate themselves from the non- 

Christian community. 

e) New believers are given practical training to take the gospel 

to their own community. 

Self-Propagation Continued 

Objective 5. Discuss the benefits to the local church in the 

propagation of the church worldwide. 

Care of the Sending Church 

When a local church is engaged in “mothering” a new local 

church, it is also important to balance the responsibilities for


115 

the work in both places. The members of the sending church 

have an interest in the new church, either through prayer, 

giving, or by some direct ministry to the new church; however, 

not everyone can give all his or her time to the new church. 

Obviously, some people must continue the ministries of the 

sending church. The leaders of the sending church may decide 

to meet together and determine a suitable plan for delegating 

responsibility for the new church. As workers are sent out 

to new churches, others in the sending church will have an 

opportunity to develop their ministries and provide new 

leadership. Thus, the sending church continues to grow and be 

strengthened. 

Build the Church Worldwide 

Each new believer becomes part of a great fellowship of 

believers all over the world. Each local church is a building 

block of a fellowship of churches that is sometimes called the 

universal church or the church worldwide. The apostle Paul 

calls this fellowship the “body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12– 

27). 

Where it is possible to do so, local churches can be blessed 

and strengthened by working together in the ministry of the 

gospel. In the New Testament, the churches in Asia Minor and 

the churches of Judea worked together as area-wide groups of 

churches. They helped in missionary work and joined to make 

decisions (Acts 15:1–21). They recognized the need to join 

with other local churches to carry on the work of God together 

(1 Corinthians 16:1–4; 2 Corinthians 8:1–15). 

Application 

11 In your own words describe benefits a mother church 

receives by delegating some of its members to lead a new 

church. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


12 Write some benefits local churches may receive by working 

together. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

13 How do you feel, as an individual believer, that you can be 

blessed by being part of a self-propagating church. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

The unity with other brothers and sisters in Christ, and with 

other local churches, is very important to the church because it 

is very important to our Lord (John 17:20–21). The unity is in 

fellowship and service to God. Each local church, as part of the 

body of Christ, shares the same “precious” faith (2 Peter 1:1) 

and is joined in a fellowship that blesses and strengthens it. The 

Holy Spirit gives power and guidance to the church, enabling 

it to fulfill the command of Christ to make new disciples and 

build them up in faith. As this command is obeyed, the church 

plants the gospel seed that continually reproduces itself in 

multiplying churches all around the world. 

Application 

14 State three ways in which the local church will be blessed as 

it propagates new churches. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


117 

self-test 


and F in front of those that are FALSE. 

. . . 1 A self-propagating church is one that helps to produce 

other local churches. 

. . . 2 All churches are commanded to evangelize but only 

selected ones are called to teach. 

. . . 3 The believers in New Testament times preached openly 

in public as well as from house to house. 

. . . 4 For a successful evangelistic campaign, the first step is 

to write a detailed plan of activities. 

. . . 5 It is best to use only mature Christians in personal 

evangelism so the unbeliever will not be offended. 

. . . 6 “Cell groups” or house churches are an evangelism 

concept originated by the 1st century church. 

. . . 7 Outdoor evangelistic preaching should be used only 

where there is social prejudice against Christians. 

. . . 8 Planning for evangelism is very important; therefore, 

once plans are made they should be rigidly followed. 

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Circle the letter of the correct answer. 

9 The first step for starting a new church is to 

a) witness to a group who is ready to hear the gospel. 

b) witness to those having a similar religion. 

c) plan prayer into all the work schedule. 

d) understand the needs of the local population. 

10 In obedience to Christ’s command to make disciples one 

must 

a) preach the gospel to many people in many places. 

b) bring hearers to a decision to confess Christ as their Savior. 

c) require hearers to become church members.


11 The goals that will produce a self-propagating church require 

a) believers who are committed to Christ and brought together 

as a body for teaching and fellowship. 

b) well-trained workers with special public speaking ability. 

c) leaders who are experienced church planters. 

d) complete separation from unbelievers to insure spiritual 

purity. 

12 The church that plants other churches is strengthened 

through its 

a) good reputation as a mother church. 

b) enlarged ministry and fellowship in the body of Christ. 

c) popularity as a church with many members. 

d) recognition by the local government.


119 


8 Suggested answers to: 

Prayer Helps believers claim the power of God, gives 

faith to proclaim the gospel fearlessly and clearly with 

the help of the Holy Spirit. Also, prayer helps prepare 

the church planter to be open to God’s will. 

Study the local population Helps to understand 

attitudes of the people and become acquainted with 

customs and laws. Helps to learn about their work, 

language, and religion. 

Determine the spiritual needs Helps to 

understand their concept about God, to know what their 

fears and problems are. Will help to know how to show 

that Christ will meet their needs. 

Revise plans as needed Flexible plans can be 

changed to meet special unforeseen needs. 

1 Your answer. A self-propagating church is one in which the 

members win the lost to Christ. The believers are taught the 

Word, and they in turn win others. As the church grows and 

is built up in Christ, it is able to start other new churches. 

9 Your answer 

2 c) A self-propagating church endeavors to take the gospel 

to sinners, prepares believers for Christian service, and 

extends and builds up the body of Christ. 

10 a False 

b True 

c True 

d False 

e True 

3 a Any three of the following: 

1) In politically or socially restricted areas. 

2) People are more willing to come to a home, rather 

than a formal place of worship. 

3) It’s a more social atmosphere. 

4) It may be easier in a large city, rather than travel long 

distances. 

b Your answer


11 Your answer. Others in the mother church can develop 

their ministries and leadership abilities. More members 

participate, thus helping the church to grow and be 

strengthened. 

4 a 1) Personal work 

b 2) Small group or house church 

c 2) Small group or house church 

d 2) Small group or house church 

12 Your answer. The churches enjoy fellowship together. They 

can help each other in ministry or decisions that affect the 

work of the church. Together they can make a stronger effort 

to extend the work of God. 

5 a 2) Personal work 

b 4) Small groups 

c 1) Evangelism campaign 

d 2) Personal work 

e 3) Mother-daughter church 

13 Your answer. Some things I would mention are: knowing my 

church is helping to extend the body of Christ where others 

may have not heard the gospel, and the joy of being part of 

the church worldwide. 

6 Your answer. 

14 Any three of the following: The church will be blessed by 

the unity of brothers and sisters in Christ; being joined in 

fellowship and service to God for the work in their area; 

having a part in fulfilling the command of Christ to make 

disciples; being strengthened by the fellowship in the body 

of Christ, the universal church. 

7 Your answer


121


LESSON 

5 

Churches That 

Support Themselves 

David and John were happy as they made their report 

to Brother Eyo. “God has given us three more families and 

five more young people this month. We now have a church 

committee. We took committee members with us when we 

visited the homes. They are well respected by everyone, and 

actually they did more to witness and win new believers than 

we did. They visited the new converts during the week when 

we couldn’t be there.” 

“Praise God.” said Brother Eyo. “Gane is becoming a well 

established church. Have you begun teaching the people about 

supporting their church?” 

“No,” said David, “if we start talking about giving so soon 

I’m afraid it might scare the people away.” 

“Not at all,” replied Brother Eyo, “they will be glad you 

taught them about giving to their church. It will open the way to 

greater growth and spiritual blessing.” 

This next lesson will help you understand the concept of 

self-support and the blessing associated with giving to the work 

of the Lord.

C h u r c h e s T h a t S u p p o r t T h e m s e l v e s 

123 


The Principles of Self-Support 

The Practicality of Self-Support 

The Necessity to Teach Self-Support 

The Power of Self-Support 



1. Identify New Testament principles of church finance as 

shown in Paul’s teaching. 

2. State practical reasons for churches to support themselves. 

3. Explain four scriptural principles related to giving. 

4. Describe the advantages for growth that a self-supporting 

church will experience. 


1. Study the lesson according to the procedure given in Lesson 

1. Be sure to read all Scriptures given and answer all study 

questions. 

2. Check the glossary at the back of this study guide for 

definitions of key words you do not understand. 


answers carefully. Review any items you answer incorrectly. 

4. Carefully review Unit 2 (Lessons 3–5), then complete the 

unit student report for Unit 2 and send it to your instructor. 

key words 

emergency 

logical 

practical 

stewardship 

tithe



The Principles of Self-Support 

Objective 1. Identify New Testament principles of church finance as 

shown in Paul’s teaching. 

It may seem that church finances should be a matter of 

the business organization of the church, rather than part of 

the spiritual ministry. But as we read the New Testament, 

particularly Paul’s letters to the churches, we see it was of 

spiritual importance then, and therefore it is important to the 

church today. As we study these Scriptures we learn that the 

manner in which finances are handled can have an important 

effect on church planting. It is not so important how the 

finances are arranged, but rather how the arrangement affects 

believers and whether it promotes the spread of the gospel. 

Paul’s writings on finances related to the ministry were never 

for any personal concern, rather the importance lay in how the 

subject might affect those to whom he preached. 

Consider three principles that guided Paul’s practice: 

1. The preaching of the gospel is not for monetary 

gain. When Paul was preaching to unbelievers, or in his 

early contacts with the church, he was careful to avoid the 

appearance that he was preaching the gospel to make money. In 

his society at that time there were many traveling philosophers 

and magicians who made their living by collecting money 

for their exhibitions (Acts 8:9; 16:16). Paul did not want the 

gospel to be classed as a similar trade. While Paul did not take 

money from hearers for himself, he argued that those who made 

their living by preaching had a right to do so (1 Corinthians 

9:7–12). The teachings of Jesus and the Jewish law made it 

clear that the minister had a right to receive support (Matthew 

10:10; Luke 10:7). But Paul wanted all to understand that his 

preaching of the gospel was not motivated by greed. He did 

not want to hinder the work of the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:12). 

He wanted to show fatherly concern for the new believers 

by not being a burden to them (1 Thessalonians 2:7–8). Paul


125 

wanted to set an example of orderly work and never give the 

appearance of covetousness (Acts 20:33–34; 1 Thessalonians 

2:5; 2 Thessalonians 3:7–8). 

Paul did receive gifts, but it appears he allowed only the 

more mature believers in the churches to send offerings for his 

needs (Philippians 4:14–17). He told the Corinthians that he 

“robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as 

to serve you” (2 Corinthians 11:7–9). Paul set an example for 

those who minister. 

2. Each local church supported its own ministry. There is 

no indication in Scripture that one local church was financially 

dependent on another. The Galatians were advised to support their 

own teachers (Galatians 6:6). Paul gave Timothy instructions on 

teaching each church to care for its own poor and widows (1 Timothy 

5:3–10). There is the exception of the churches sending offerings 

to the believers in Judea at the time of a famine (Acts 11:29). 

However, this was an exceptional need. It was the loving response of 

Christians to the need of others in the body of Christ, and it was not 

a matter of regular financial support of a local church. Providing for 

emergency needs of others is a ministry of the church. Such offerings 

demonstrate the unity and love that maintains the body of Christ. 

3. The local church administered its own funds. First 

Corinthians 16:1–4 indicates that each church was responsible for 

its own funds. In this context, Paul told the Corinthians that he 

would be there at a certain time to take the offering they collected 

as a gift to the church at Jerusalem. He had already done the same 

at the Galatian church. Each church received and set aside the 

amount it determined to give. Paul was merely the envoy, with other 

men whom the church designated, to carry the gift to Jerusalem. 

Paul was careful to make it clear that he was acting primarily 

as a messenger of the churches and took no responsibility for 

administering the gift. Moreover, he took precautions to be sure the 

churches were represented in taking the gift to Jerusalem (vv. 3–4). 

These three principles demonstrated by Paul’s teaching 

are guidelines that can help us today. Of course, there are 

circumstances that cause exception, but the basic principle


the New Testament teaches is that the local church, like the 

individual Christian, is meant to develop in spiritual maturity and 

responsibility. Holding either in a state of dependency does not 

promote the maturity necessary to fulfill the mission of the church. 

Application 

1 Match the principle of church finance taught by Paul (right) 

with the reference demonstrating it (left). 

. . . a Galatians 6:6 1) Preaching the gospel is 

. . . b 2 Thessalonians 3:7–8 

not for monetary gain. 

2) The local church supports 

. . . c 1 Timothy 5:3, 7, 17–18 its own ministries. 

. . . d 1 Corinthians 16:1–4 

3) The local church 

administers its own funds. 

. . . e Acts 20:34–35 

2 Read the first principle again. Circle the letter of each TRUE 

statement that shows how Paul demonstrated this principle. 

a) He avoided being classed with traders. 

b) He said he was never in financial need. 

c) He wished to show fatherly concern for the church. 

d) He avoided an appearance of greed. 

e) He obeyed the biblical rule that those who preach are not paid. 

f) He set an example of orderly work. 

The Practicality of Self-Support 

Objective 2. 

State practical reasons for churches to support themselves. 

The plans and methods that God’s Word gives for building His 

church are practical and logical. The biblical method for supporting 

the church and the work of spreading the gospel is that the expense 

is to be shared by all members of the body of Christ. Here are two 

practical reasons for the local church to become self-supporting: 

1. It develops a sense of responsibility. Each group of 

believers should feel responsible to each other and to the


127 

work of God. In Lessons 1 and 3 we referred to Ephesians 

4:12, as telling us the purpose of the church. Let us continue 

on to verse 13 and read an expected result of that purpose: 

“until we all reach unity in the faith and . . . become mature.” 

Assuming responsibility is a means of attaining maturity. What 

do you think might happen if the money to support the local 

church came from an outside organization or another church? 

How would the believers’ lives be affected? It is possible for 

believers who are dependent on others for their support to 

become resentful of their benefactors. Believers may resent 

having to wait for someone else to recognize and provide their 

needs. Such dependency can also cause the loss of dignity 

and self-worth. A local church in this position may feel that it 

is incapable of fulfilling the purpose of the church. Also, the 

people of the church may be inclined to wait for direction from 

the source that is providing the church support. 

What may happen if the pastor is supported by money 

coming from outside the local church? He may feel less 

responsibility to the local believers than to those who provide 

his salary. When the people of the church are supporting their 

own church and pastor, they have a sense of belonging and 

responsibility to the church and pastor. They will have a greater 

interest in the pastor’s ministry and feel a greater responsibility 

to be involved in the ministries of the church. In the same way 

the pastor who is being supported by those close to him each day 

will feel the responsibility of being well disciplined and prepared 

in his ministry to the church. There will be a better sense of being 

co-laborers with Christ in the ministry of the church. 

2. Self-support builds maturity. The sense of responsibility 

that grows in a self-supporting church creates spiritual maturity 

in believers. Joyous giving in gratitude to God not only helps the 

work of God, but also brings blessing and increased faith to the 

giver (2 Corinthians 9:7–13). If the people sacrifice to prepare a 

place for worship, they will cherish it as their house of God. 

Self-support teaches the believers to trust God for meeting 

financial needs. As a result, they will learn to trust Him for


other needs, such as the salvation of others, healing for the sick, 

and for increased ministry in other areas. 

Church leaders must be careful not to rob the believers in 

a new church of the chance to learn the blessings of giving to 

the work of God. This is illustrated by the story of a preacher 

who saw a butterfly struggling to free itself from its cocoon. 

He watched impatiently as the butterfly struggled. Finally the 

preacher could not bear it any longer. With his knife, he cut 

the remaining threads of the cocoon. The struggling stopped, 

and the insect burst out—weak, helpless, and able to live only 

a moment. A rule of life had been broken! If the butterfly had 

been left to itself, after much struggling, a well-formed, strong, 

and beautifully colored creature would have come forth. 

Sometimes it is hard for church leaders to watch a new 

group of believers struggle to become established. But each 

new church should have the opportunity to mature in its own 

faith and follow God’s plan of support for the church. By being 

able to manage their own financial support, the believers will 

be more likely to have faith and confidence to step out in more 

efforts to expand the ministries of the church. 

Application 

3 Which are TRUE statements concerning practical reasons for 

a church to be self-supporting? 

a) It is not important where support comes from since 

everything we have comes from God. 

b) The believers who support their church feel a personal 

responsibility to the church. 

c) A church should provide its own support so it need not have 

anything to do with or be concerned about other churches. 

d) The pastor and the believers will share a greater ministry in 

the church. 

e) The church learns to have faith in God for other needs as it 

learns to trust Him for financial needs.


129 

The Necessity to Teach Self-Support 

Teach Systematic Giving 

Objective 3. Explain four scriptural principles related to giving. 

Sometimes church planters or the pastors of a new group 

of believers are reluctant to teach about financial responsibility 

to God’s work. They may fear that the people will become 

discouraged, or they may think the pastor is greedy. This 

is a mistake. Church planters should be students of God’s 

Word in order to understand the biblical aspects of financial 

responsibility. Then they are prepared to ask the Holy Spirit 

to give them wisdom to apply the scriptural principles in their 

teaching of the new believers. 

If self-support is to be attained, the foundation must be 

right from the beginning. New believers should be taught the 

responsibilities of stewardship as it applies to their obligations 

for membership in the local church. The apostle Paul taught 

the churches to give regularly in proportion to their income 

(1 Corinthians 16:1–2). Many Christians operate on the 

principle of giving at least ten percent of their income—a 

principle that was taught in the Old Testament and is perhaps 

the best systematic plan for giving to God’s work. 

Many new Christians need guidance on knowing how to give 

because they never had the experience of giving to God’s work. 

Scriptural teaching is that giving is to be in proportion to one’s 

income; therefore, most Christians accept the tithe as a minimum 

standard. In 2 Corinthians 8 Paul points out several principles 

concerning giving that can help us understand what the believer’s 

attitude should be. First, the Macedonian churches did not give 

because they had plenty. They gave out of extreme poverty. 

Second, in spite of the most severe trial, they experienced 

overflowing joy which welled up in rich generosity (vv. 1–2). 

Third, on their own initiative, they pleaded for the privilege of 

sharing with the other saints (v. 4). Paul says they were able to 

do this because they gave themselves first to the Lord (v. 5). 

Following are other Scriptures that teach the principles of giving:


1. Giving is to be done cheerfully. “Each man should give what 

he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly . . . for God 

loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). “Their overflowing 

joy . . . welled up in rich generosity” (2 Corinthians 8:2). 

2. God promises blessings to those who give. “‘Bring the whole 

tithe into the storehouse . . . and see if I will not . . . pour out 

so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it’” 

(Malachi 3:10). “‘Give, and it will be given to you. A good 

measure . . . For with the measure you use, it will be measured 

to you’” (Luke 6:38). “Whoever sows generously will also reap 

generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6). These promises contain the 

condition that giving is to be done cheerfully and generously, 

never greedily or with the hope of getting something in return. 

3. Giving is an expression of love. “In your love . . . see that 

you also excel in this grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7). 

4. Giving now assures eternal treasures in heaven. “‘Give to 

the poor . . . provide . . . for yourselves . . . a treasure in 

heaven that will not be exhausted’” (Luke 12:33). 

Teaching by example is always a good method. Wise and 

effective teachers are those who conscientiously realize their 

obligation before God. They realize their personal need to 

follow the Scripture, and in doing so set an example to others. 

Those who do not live by their teachings are poor examples. 

They will not be able to train strong converts because people 

will see the inconsistencies in their lives. 

Application 

4 Suppose you are teaching a group of new believers about 

the scriptural principles of giving. How would you explain the 

following verses? Write your response in your notebook. 

a) 2 Corinthians 8:2; 9:7 

b) Malachi 3:10; Luke 6:38 

c) 2 Corinthians 8:7 

d) Luke 12:33


131 

Teach Stewardship 

A steward is a person who has the job of taking care of the 

possessions of an owner. He is the manager of his employer’s 

property. The stewardship of a Christian is two-fold: 1) the 

Christian is responsible to God for the use of all that God 

allows him to use, and 2) Christians are responsible to each 

other for offerings given to God’s work. 

Jesus taught several parables concerning the work of a 

manager. In Luke 16:1–2, the manager was called to give an 

account of his management and found unworthy to continue his 

position. The teaching in Matthew 25:14–30 implies that we 

own nothing at all. All that we have is given by God, and we 

are accountable to Him for its use. What the manager earns and 

gives back to the owner is not a gift but a requirement. All we 

can really offer back to God is the proper use of the blessings 

He has given us and the assurance they are of profitable use to 

God’s kingdom. Our responsibility to God includes not only 

material things but also other blessings He has given us. “Each 

one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, 

faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” (1 

Peter 4:10). 

Our concern in this lesson is primarily the correct use of 

funds given for God’s work. The pastor must be careful to 

establish confidence in the church through the handling of 

church money. The new church should be taught to manage its 

funds faithfully from the first day it begins to receive gifts for 

the work of God. In some parts of the world people bring part 

of their harvest to God. In other places people bring part of the 

money they have earned. It is all an offering to God. 

Here is a suggested plan to follow for the good management 

of church offerings. 

1. All offerings should be received and accounted for by at 

least two members of the church. 

2. Accurate records should be kept, detailing the amounts of 

all the offerings received.


3. All persons counting the offerings should sign their 

names indicating that they verify the amount received and 

recorded. 

4. A finance committee of at least three members should 

be responsible for overseeing the disbursements of the 

offerings. In addition to the members, the church planter 

or pastor should be part of this committee and act as the 

chairperson. 

5. A treasurer should be appointed from the membership to 

keep careful record of all church funds. 

6. The treasurer should keep the church money in a safe place 

for future use. 

7. Offerings that are given for a specific purpose should be 

used for only that purpose. 

8. Annual financial reports should be made available to all 

members. 

If the outlined procedures above are followed, the church 

will have a basis for demonstrating its accountability for the 

offerings received. This will enable believers to avoid any 

suspicion of how the funds have been used. This accountability 

is further enhanced by developing a committee of members to 

oversee the financial ministry of the church. This group may 

be called the financial committee and would include church 

officers, especially the church leaders such as the pastor or the 

church planter. 

The finance committee should make a list of the financial 

needs that are important. As money becomes available, it 

should be spent according to the priorities on this list. Each 

financial committee will have to determine the priorities for its 

particular church. Depending on the location and circumstances 

of the church, the priorities may vary. 

Some of the needs that may have to be considered first are: 

1. Pastor’s support 

2. Rent for a meeting place


133 

3. Lights, heat, and water 

4. Building maintenance 

5. Educational materials 

In most cases the first priority the church should try to meet 

is to provide support for a pastor. Church members need the 

leadership of a full-time pastor who is responsible to work 

with them, teach them, and lead them. Having an adequate 

place to gather for worship is also a priority. If the church must 

rent a place to meet, that would probably be the next priority. 

However, in many places the church can meet in a believer’s 

home or on property provided by a believer. The priority for 

each need should be determined by the committee on the basis 

of what is most urgently needed to accomplish the task of 

evangelism and discipleship. 

When a major use of funds is being discussed, the whole 

group of believers should be invited to discuss it with the 

committee. This faithfulness in managing the church money 

will create confidence in the church. The annual financial 

report that is given to all the members must be understood by 

everyone so the people know how the money is being used for 

the work of God. As they learn to give, they will give joyfully, 

knowing that all the gifts are being used to help further the 

work of the Lord. 

Application 

5 What is usually the first need a church should try to meet? 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

6 List two ways in which the entire church body should be 

included in the financial matters of the church. 

a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


7 In your notebook write a short sentence outline of the 

procedures a church should adopt so that it can be a good 

steward of God’s money. 

The Power of Self-Support 

Objective 4. Describe the advantages for growth that a selfsupporting 

church will experience. 

Churches that take the responsibility of supporting their 

own work for God tend to multiply faster than others. There 

are three main reasons for this. Faith is encouraged to grow 

in both the pastor and the believers. Faith is a gift of God 

(Romans 12:3; 2 Peter 1:1). But any gift, to be of value, must 

be taken from the giver and used. First Peter 1:6–7 tells us 

about faith: “Though now for a little while you may have had to 

suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your 

faith—of greater worth than gold . . . may be proved genuine.” 

When a new church is beginning, it may be a test of faith for a 

pastor to rely on God to take care of him and his family while 

he devotes to helping the new church develop. As the pastor 

studies the Word and claims God’s promises, his faith grows. 

The pastor can help the new believers learn to trust God and 

claim the promises from His Word. It may be a test of faith for 

new believers to take the responsibility of supporting the work 

of God while it is small and struggling. The testing can help 

to develop faith to attempt more work for God. It is evident 

from Scripture that faith must be active. “Faith without deeds is 

dead” (James 2:26). A church that is self-supporting may have 

its faith tested, but what can be a result of that testing? James 

1:3–4 says, “The testing of your faith develops perseverance. 

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature.” 

Churches which sacrifice and give generously to God’s work 

will experience growth in faith. This faith helps to give the 

church spiritual perseverance to reach out in ministry to other 

areas.


135 

Self-supporting churches have a stronger influence on 

the unbelievers of the community. If the church planter is 

supported by funds from outside the church for a long period 

of time, nonbelievers in the local community may have reason 

to view the new church as something foreign to their area. This 

is especially true if the source of funds comes from outside 

the country. They may call the church a “foreign religion” 

and assume that believers are trying to gain worldly benefit, 

instead of spiritual help. They may think of the church planter 

as a hired agent of a foreign government. What will this do to 

the church? It will certainly hinder its growth. If the church is 

to grow, new believers must be won from among the people 

around the new church. The church that is supported by 

members of its own community can have a greater sense of 

belonging to that community, and is not divided in its loyalties 

to an outside source. A church that belongs to the people can 

have greater influence on those around it. 

Self-supporting churches provide for unlimited growth. This 

is an important reason why a church should be self-supporting. 

Funds which come from an outside or foreign source are 

always limited, and there is the possibility that they may be cut 

off at any time. If the church does not support itself it will reach 

a certain stage of development where its limited funds can 

maintain only the present work. Since funds are limited, there 

is no way to start new works in the area or send out workers 

to evangelize. But in a church where people are taught to give, 

the funds will continue to grow as new believers are won to 

the Lord. There needs to be no limit on what the church can 

attempt to do for God’s work. Consider the experiences of two 

churches in Latin America. 

Felipe and Carlos were church planters who started 

churches in towns near their homes. Both men were dedicated 

and worked hard. Felipe was supported by a church in another 

city. Carlos did not receive any outside help. 

After Felipe had won about twenty people to the Lord, the 

house where they were meeting was too small. He wrote to his 

supporters and they sent money to build a church building. The


people of the community opposed the new church. They did not 

want a “foreign church” in their town. The church was built, but 

after so much trouble few dared to come. Those who stayed in 

the church did not want to maintain it. They said, “the building 

is not ours. Let those who built it take care of it.” Felipe stayed 

on as pastor because he was still receiving his salary from the 

other church. The new church remained small and was able to 

do little for God. 

This is an example of a church built on an attitude of 

dependency. Since the people depended on someone else to 

pay the expenses, they would probably depend on the outside 

source to make their decisions. They would never develop in 

their own abilities to fulfill the ministries that are intended for 

a church. When difficulties come, they would have the attitude 

that those who pay the bills should take care of the problems. 

The believers of such a church would not have the opportunity 

to develop self-worth as mature Christians. They would be 

afraid to attempt new projects in God’s work because they are 

dependent on an outside source to sustain the work. 

Meanwhile, Carlos worked every day at his job. Most 

evenings and every Sunday he rode the bus to meet with a new 

group of believers he had won to the Lord. When the group 

grew to include several families, the people asked Carlos to 

accept their help to pay his bus fare. He began to teach them the 

blessing of giving to God. Soon there were enough believers to 

rent a room where they met for services. The people continued 

to give and Carlos was able to quit his job and give full time 

to the church. A few years later the congregation had built its 

own building. Hundreds of people attended this church. They 

have been able to start about a dozen new churches in the 

surrounding areas. 

This self-supporting church was never limited by depending 

on money from someone else. The people knew that they 

themselves were the only source of income, and they learned 

early to worship the Lord by giving to His work. The believers 

in the church pastored by Carlos had the opportunity to develop 

spiritual maturity. They gained self-worth and recognized their


137 

responsibilities to the church. They never expected anyone else 

to do anything for them; consequently, they knew it was their 

task to evangelize in their area and accomplish the ministries 

of the church. Felipe may have been able eventually to help his 

church become self-supporting also. But because of a faulty 

beginning, it would have been a difficult task. 

Although financial support is necessary, more importantly, 

it is the spiritual condition of the church that influences all else. 

The blessing of God and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit stir 

the church to attempt greater work for the Lord. If a church is at 

a low spiritual place, it is not the time to talk about finances, but 

rather pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual 

life of the church is the first concern; methods are secondary. 

Application 

8 List three problems a church may have if it is supported by 

funds from an outside source. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

9 If the pastor of a neighboring church told you that his church 

was not self-supporting because the people were too poor, based 

on the lesson discussion, how would you answer him? Use your 

notebook for your answer. 

10 How does self-support help the church in each of these 

aspects? Use your notebook for your response. 

a) Developing faith 

b) Community influence 

c) Unlimited growth


self-test 


and F in front of those which are FALSE. 

. . . 1 It was a New Testament practice to administer funds to 

all the churches from a central office in Jerusalem. 

. . . 2 Paul’s motive for working at tent-making was so he 

could be financially independent. 

. . . 3 The New Testament teaches that a Christian should not 

try to earn profits. 

. . . 4 The concept of a self-supporting church is practical for 

a developing country. 

. . . 5 It is a biblical teaching that to give cheerfully to God’s 

work assures one of treasures in heaven. 

. . . 6 A pastor should not expect a very poor person to 

regularly give offerings to the church. 

. . . 7 In a small church it is practical that the pastor and one 

member be the finance committee. 

. . . 8 All the church members should receive the annual 

finance report of the church. 

. . . 9 The obligations of stewardship should be taught equally 

to new believers as well as to mature Christians. 

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Circle the letter in front of the best 

answer to each question. 

10 The giving of a tithe may be described as 

a) the only amount we should give to God’s work. 

b) a teaching contrary to the New Testament. 

c) a guide for systematic giving to God’s work.


139 

11 Good management of church funds means that 

a) the pastor, as the church leader, makes the decisions on the 

use of the money. 

b) a finance committee oversees the use and safe keeping, the 

recording and correct reporting of the use of church funds. 

c) the church treasurer tries to keep a secret surplus of funds in 

the bank in case the church has an emergency need. 

12 Which person is showing an attitude of Christian stewardship 

toward money and possessions? 

a) Stephen says everything belongs to God so there is no need 

for him to give offerings to the church. 

b) Mary is happy to give regular offerings even though her 

income is small. 

c) Rhoda gives offerings only because she believes God will 

prosper her for doing so. 

d) Bill is unemployed and has very little. He decides he need 

not share with anyone. 

13 A self-supporting church has a greater advantage for 

a) unlimited growth since it does not depend on outside 

resources. 

b) more ministry because it spends little time on financial 

reports. 

c) soliciting funds from various sources. 

14 Self-support benefits a church for all the following reasons 

EXCEPT 

a) by giving members an increased sense of responsibility. 

b) as an encouragement to spiritual maturity. 

c) to promote the pastor’s and members’ mutual concern for 

the ministry. 

d) to give greater skill in fund raising. 

Before you continue your study with Lesson 6, complete your 

student report for Unit 2 and return Answer Sheet 2 to your GU 

instructor.



6 a All members should be included in discussions about 

major expenditures. 

b All members should receive an annual financial report. 

1 a 2) The local church supports its own ministries. 

b 1) Preaching the gospel is not for monetary gain. 

c 2) The local church supports its own ministries. 

d 3) The local church administers its own funds. 

e 1) Preaching the gospel is not for monetary gain. 

7 Your answer 

2 a True 

b False 

c True 

d True 

e False 

f True 

8 Any three of the following: 

1) The church may be viewed as “foreign.” 

2) It may be accused of being “money hungry.” 

3) The pastor may be considered a foreign agent. 

4) Church growth may be hindered. 

3 a False 

b True 

c False 

d True 

e True 

9 Your answer. Some suggested replies are: The believers in 

the early church gave out of poverty, not wealth. The New 

Testament teaches that giving should be in proportion to 

one’s income. Small offerings accumulated together would 

be a beginning toward self-support. God has promised to 

bless those who give. The people will experience joy if they 

give with love to God.


141 

4 Your answers should be similar to the following: 

a Giving is to be done cheerfully, with joy and generosity. 

b Giving that is done cheerfully and generously will be 

blessed by God. 

c Giving is an expression of love to others and to God. 

d Giving in this life assures eternal treasures in heaven. 

10 a As the members learn to trust God, their faith becomes 

stronger for all needs. 

b The community accepts the church and as it becomes 

part of the community, the church will have more 

influence. 

c The church will continue to grow as new members come 

in. 

5 The support of the pastor

3Unit

Multiplication of 


Lessons 

6 Churches Train Leaders 

7 Practical Advice on Church Planting 

8 A Plan for Multiplication


LESSON 

6 

Churches Train 

Leaders 

David and John are discouraged as they visit Brother Eyo. 

“I’m sorry to say that the church at Gane is not growing as fast 

as it was in the beginning,” said David. “We have three more 

young people, but no other families have joined us this month. 

The new believers need more of our time, and we cannot find 

much time to win new people as we did before.” 

“I think the answer to your problems can be said in one 

word, leadership,” said Brother Eyo. “We have talked about 

how to organize the church and develop a self-governing 

church. No church can depend on one or two leaders only. 

Now is the time you must train believers for responsibilities of 

leadership within the church. As you teach them to help people 

in the church, they will also learn how to reach people outside 

the church. This will help to keep the church growing.” 

If you are now working with a growing church or plan to 

in the future, this lesson will help you understand methods of 

developing leaders who can take responsibilities in the church. 

You will study principles from Scripture that will be a guide for 

the selection and training of leaders in the local church.

C h u r c h e s T r a i n L e a d e r s 

145 


Reasons for Leaders 

Qualifications for Leaders 

Preparation for Leaders 



1. Explain the value of training leaders within the church. 

2. Identify the New Testament standard for the selection of 

church leaders. 

3. Identify Christian qualities necessary for effective church 

leadership. 

4. Identify methods by which effective leaders may be 

developed. 


1. Study the lesson outline and lesson objectives. Read all 

Scripture texts given in the lesson and answer all study 

questions. Check your answer to each question after you 

have written your answer. 


answers. 

key words 

extension class 

resident school 

seminar 

short-term school 

temperate



Reasons for Leaders 

Objective 1. Explain the value of training leaders within the church. 

Scriptural Reasons 

After a church is established, the church planter may 

move on to plant new churches in other areas. For the church 

to continue to grow and expand its ministries, the leadership 

must be in the hands of local people within the church body. 

Examples of this principle are clear in Scripture. 

During the years of Jesus’ earthly ministry, He preached 

to thousands of people and healed many hundreds, but He 

chose and trained only a few disciples (the Twelve) to lead the 

new church and to train others to become leaders. Jesus cared 

greatly for the crowds of people. He wept with compassion for 

them (Luke 19:41). While He wanted to win them, He would 

reach the multitudes best with a few correctly trained disciples. 

Those same disciples, together with those they brought to the 

Lord, did reach the multitudes. Their influence was felt “all 

over the world” (Acts 17:6). 

When Jesus gave His final instructions to His disciples, 

He did not tell them to find great crowds to whom they should 

preach. He told them to make disciples. This was the key 

that would enable them to take the gospel to the whole world 

(Matthew 28:19–20). 

The apostle Paul understood this principle well. In 2 

Timothy 2:2 he wrote, “And the things you have heard me 

say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men 

who will also be qualified to teach others.” The early church 

leaders dedicated themselves to the task of training faithful men 

to continue the process by teaching others also. By training 

faithful workers the church planter can multiply the results of 

the work more effectively.


147 

Application 

1 (Choose the better answer.) According to the teaching in 2 

Timothy 2:2, how may a church planter help a church to grow 

and expand its ministry? 

a) He will systematically teach God’s Word and pray for the 

church. 

b) He will train leaders in the local church, being sure they 

learn how to teach others. 

Practical Reasons 

That leaders must come from within the church body is 

evident for both natural and spiritual reasons. People in the 

church usually respond better to a person who is familiar 

with their way of life. People who live in a small village, for 

example, may find it hard to accept a person from a large, 

cosmopolitan city as their leader. 

Spiritually, a church has a great problem if it must always 

depend on leadership from an outside source. This does not 

mean that workers within a local church may not leave their 

area, but that one of the important ministries of the church is to 

produce local leaders. The development of leaders within the 

church is a result of responsible self-government. The church is 

assuming responsibility for its own stability and the obligation 

to take the gospel to the surrounding community. Usually, this 

will naturally result in spiritual and numerical growth. 

It is a blessing to all the church when a pastor has the vision, 

as Paul did in training Timothy and Titus, to develop leaders 

within the church. Such pastors know how to inspire others and 

delegate responsibility without fear of losing their own authority. 

These pastors know that members put to work will produce a 

united, happy, healthy church. A pastor who tries to do everything 

and keep everything under his control will have to struggle to 

prevent discontent. He will also stifle the growth of the church. 

He needs to allow other qualified believers to take responsibility 

so that they, too, can build up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12).


Application 

2 In your notebook list three practical reasons why leaders 

should be developed in the local church. 

3 Which of these are TRUE statements concerning the 

necessity of developing leaders in the local church? 

a) A community can be evangelized better when the 

responsibility for the task is in the hands of local leaders. 

b) Because the early church was immature and unprepared, 

Paul took on himself all the responsibility for teaching new 

believers. 

c) A pastor strengthens his ministry when he delegates 

leadership tasks to others in the church. 

d) Developing leaders within the local church is part of 

obeying the Lord’s command to make disciples of all 

nations. 

Qualifications for Leaders 

Objective 2. Identify the New Testament standard for the selection 

of church leaders. 

In Lesson 3 we studied about church government and the 

need for certain leaders and committees in the church. These 

are needed for the stability and effective service of the church. 

There are certain leaders who will be chosen for the official 

board of the church. These will assist the pastor in the work 

of the church. They do not rule the church or the pastor; their 

function is to serve the church with the pastor. 

Scriptural Standards 

First Timothy 3:1 reads, “If anyone sets his heart on being 

an overseer, he desires a noble task.” The qualifications for an 

overseer and deacon are in 1 Timothy 3:2–10 and Titus 1:5–9). 

1. He must be above reproach; that is, no one can find a reason 

to accuse him of improper behavior.


149 

2. He must be the husband of one wife. This was an important 

statement in a society where men frequently lived with 

more than one woman. Paul made it clear that the Christian 

marriage standard was this: Each man was to have one wife, 

and he was to be faithful to her. 

3. He is to be temperate. He is not to be extreme in any 

activity. He practices self-control and moderation in each 

area of life. 

4. He is to be self-controlled. He is not quick-tempered, does 

not give in to excessive appetites, nor is in bondage to 

himself. 

5. He is to be respectable. He has an orderly life. His 

acquaintances respect him. 

6. He is to be hospitable; that is, he will share his home and 

time with others. 

7. He is able to teach. He must be able to tell others the good 

news and to exhort them concerning Christian living. 

8. He is not to be given to much wine. 

9. He is to be gentle and not quarrelsome. 

10. He is not to be a lover of money. 

11. He manages his own house and family well. He keeps his 

children under control with dignity. 

12. He is not to be a new convert. 

13. He has a good reputation with those outside of the church. 

14. He must not be quick-tempered or violent. 

15. He must love what is good. 

16. He must encourage others with sound doctrine and refute 

those who oppose it. 

Application 

4 Read 1 Timothy 3:2–7 again. What is the emphasis in this 

list of qualifications? 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


The requirements for leadership in the New Testament 

church stress qualities, not deeds. This is true not only in the 

verses we have just read but also in other incidents where 

spiritual leadership is being chosen. When Paul needed a 

traveling companion, he chose Timothy who was a man 

of whom “the brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well” 

(Acts 16:2). The Men selected for the task of serving tables 

in Jerusalem were men “known to be full of the Spirit and 

wisdom” (Acts 6:3). When Paul wrote his instructions to 

Timothy and Titus about leaders in the local churches, he 

emphasized qualities, not tasks. 

Paul knew that tasks would change from culture to culture. 

He knew that a man who could manage his family well could 

encourage and direct the church family. In every culture and 

time people need to be prayed for, taught, and encouraged. 

Having the ability for these ministries was more important than 

saying how the tasks should be performed. 

Paul did not give rigid patterns for leadership. In Ephesus 

and Philippi he talked about overseers (bishops) and deacons; 

to Titus he mentioned overseers (or elders) but not deacons. 

Perhaps he did this to ensure creativity. He knew that different 

times and different cultures would need a variety of methods to 

accomplish the same spiritual purpose. 

One fact was clear in the New Testament church: There was 

always a plurality of leadership. No individual served alone, 

although some had more responsibility than others. Paul points 

out that “the elders who direct the affairs of the church well 

are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is 

preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17).


151 

Application 

5 Think about the people in your church or a group of 

Christians that you know. Do some of these people possess the 

qualities of New Testament leadership? Write three or four 

reasons that tell how you know they do. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


6 Read 1 Timothy 3:2–6 and Titus 1:7–9. Beside each 

description write the quality of character it describes. 

John works regularly at his job, 

spends time in recreation, and 

eats a balanced, moderate 

amount of food. 

William has been married to 

Sarah, his only wife, for ten years. 

He is faithful and loving to her. 

Hiram is pleased to invite needy 

people for a meal or to stay in his 

home. 

Matthew gives offerings regularly, 

earns enough money to care for 

his family, and does not take part 

in “quick money” schemes. 

James was accused falsely by his 

neighbor, but he answered kindly 

and was not angry. 

When there was a theft at David’s 

workplace, his employer knew 

David was not guilty. 

Robert has been faithful to 

church for five years, and is a 

good Bible teacher. 

Peter’s children come to him for 

counsel and spiritual advice. They 

regularly attend church with him. 

Quality 

7 Put an X beside those qualities of character that need to be 

developed more in your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to help attain 

these qualities.


153 

Identify Recognized Leaders 

Objective 3. Identify Christian qualities necessary for effective 

church leadership. 

In every village, town, or city are leaders who may be rich, 

poor, or in-between. But they are recognized leaders because 

the people respect their opinions and value their judgment. In 

the event of a local argument, the people expect these leaders 

to settle it. When a representative is needed to speak to officials 

the recognized leader will be asked to speak for the people. 

The apostle Paul knew that recognized leaders usually make the 

best spiritual leaders. He knew that these leaders, if truly converted 

and consecrated to the Lord, could influence people in their whole 

area to become believers. That is why Paul used every opportunity 

to witness to such leaders as the chief of Malta, the governors 

Felix and Festus, King Agrippa, and even to the household of the 

Emperor of Rome (Acts 24–26, 28; Philippians 4:22). 

The church planter is advised to use the same principle 

that Paul used. He should be bold to proclaim the gospel to 

all, but be sure that local leaders in each community are given 

an opportunity to become believers. When there is a group of 

believers in one place, the church planter should be careful to 

find the recognized leaders among the new believers. The new 

believers will respect and follow their leadership. Non-believers 

will also have more respect for the gospel because they see that 

these recognized leaders have become believers. 

When Paul left his disciple, Titus, to work on the island of 

Crete, he told him to ordain “elders” in every church. These 

were to be mature believers with high moral qualifications 

(Titus 1:5–9). Paul told Titus there were to be such leaders “in 

every town” (v. 5). The church planter must be careful not to 

neglect anyone who is a potential leader just because the person 

may be older or younger than himself. A mature believer may 

be young in years and an older person may not be spiritually 

mature. The important fact is this: A potential leader should be 

respected by the community and mature in his or her spiritual 

life and conduct.


Application 

8 Which are TRUE statements concerning the characteristics 

of recognized leaders which show they have potential as 

spiritual leaders? 

a) The community people respect their opinions and advice. 

b) They are usually the rich people of the town. 

c) They are influential for the good of the community. 

d) The community people feel they judge problems fairly. 

e) They must be the older men of the community. 

f) They are respected for their high moral standards. 

Preparation for Leaders 

The New Testament Approach 

Objective 4. Identify methods by which effective leaders may be 

developed. 

Spiritual Preparation 

To meet the challenge of evangelizing the lost we can 

learn from New Testament methods. The book of Acts shows 

that the methods of evangelism and training church leaders 

were flexible. This tells us that the New Testament church 

leaders were open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This also 

indicates that the emphasis in training leaders to continue the 

work of the church was first on spiritual preparation rather than 

intellectual preparation. The apostles trusted the Holy Spirit to 

guide the new leaders. 

Jesus’ first preparation for His disciples was that they would 

“be with Him” (Mark 3:14), and after that they would go out to 

preach and to heal the sick. Frequently Jesus spent time alone 

with His disciples to give them spiritual teaching (Mark 4:10; 

6:31; Luke 11:1–13; and John 3:22). Spiritual preparation was 

so important to the disciples’ training that even after they had 

been with Jesus throughout His ministry, in Gethsemane, and


155 

at Calvary, He told them to wait in Jerusalem to be “‘baptized 

with the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 1:5). 

Spiritual preparation comes from studying God’s Word, and 

learning how to intercede in prayer. With study and prayer that 

is not superficial, one learns to be taught and led by the Holy 

Spirit. This learning begins when one’s life is committed to 

Christ and continues throughout the Christian experience. 

Preparation by Experience 

Jesus helped His disciples learn the work of the ministry by 

doing the tasks of the ministry. His approach could be called 

on-the-job training. The church planter or pastor should train 

leaders like Jesus did. Give workers the opportunity to minister 

in the church. They can lead evangelism groups, visit and 

pray for the sick, teach Bible study classes, and lead prayer 

meetings. We read in Matthew 17:17–20 that the disciples 

failed in the healing of the epileptic son, but Jesus took them 

aside and gave them further teaching. Paul had teaching 

discussions in a hall in Ephesus for two years (Acts 19:9–10), 

but these were not just lectures. Many workers went out from 

that class to minister, because in those two years “all the Jews 

and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word 

of the Lord” (Acts 19:10). This was no small task. Obviously 

Paul did not visit many places in person. There is evidence that 

other workers established the church in Colossae, Hierapolis 

and Laodicea (Colossians 2:1; 4:13). The province was so 

completely evangelized that it became a center of Christianity 

for many years. 

Many Workers Involved 

Jesus sent out twelve disciples for preaching, then He 

“appointed seventy-two others” (Luke 10:1). These workers 

went out preaching what they had learned from Jesus and 

they returned with joy (10:17). Jesus said, “‘The harvest is 

plentiful, but the workers are few’” (10:2). The great harvest 

requires many workers, and every believer should have a part 

in the work of the harvest. Not all are called to be preachers 

and teachers, but the whole body of Christ is part of the team


of witnesses that has a responsibility to take the gospel. A new 

convert can witness to the unsaved, a seasoned convert can help 

the new, the pastor can teach the deacons, and the deacons can 

become lay workers who may start daughter churches. In the 

New Testament after the death of Stephen, persecution scattered 

the believers throughout Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1). Only 

the apostles stayed in Jerusalem, but the scattered believers 

preached the Word wherever they went (8:4). The same 

principle operates today. As more lay workers are involved, the 

expansion of the church will be greater. 

Application 

9 In your own words list three principles that were followed 

for training workers in the early church. Use your notebook for 

your answer. 

Train Leaders by Example 

Show a Desire to Serve 

Jesus said, “No servant is greater than his master” (John 

13:16). The church planter cannot expect those he trains to 

develop greater dedication, vision, and spiritual maturity than 

he demonstrates by his life. The people will see his example 

more than they will hear his words. Peter advised, “Be 

shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as 

overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, 

as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to 

serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being 

examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2–3). 

Our great example of desiring to serve is the Lord Jesus 

himself. The apostle Paul sums this up very well: “Your attitude 

should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very 

nature God, . . . made himself nothing, taking the very nature 

of a servant, . . . he humbled himself and became obedient to 

death” (Philippians 2:5–8). In Luke 22:14–30 is an incident 

that describes a wrong attitude of the disciples. John 13:1–17


157 

records the happenings of the same evening and tells how 

Jesus taught the disciples by His example. Read these passages 

of Scripture thoughtfully and prayerfully. If a church planter 

follows the principle of serving those he is leading, then people 

will follow his leadership. 

Application 

10 Review Luke 22:14–30 and John 13:4–17. What incident 

prompted Jesus’ action in John 13:4–5? 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

11 Briefly explain Jesus’ teaching in John 13:12–17. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

12 Why is the teaching in these Scriptures so important to us 

today? 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Be An Example in Faithfulness and Faith 

Jesus taught His disciples, “‘Whoever can be trusted with 

very little can also be trusted with much’” (Luke 16:10). For a 

Christian who is doing the Lord’s work, especially the church 

planter or pastor, no job is unimportant. We demonstrate our 

faithfulness by our attention to the small details of work. Do 

not promise to be at a meeting unless you can be there and be 

there on time. If you promise to do a task by a certain time, do 

it. If you are faithful in the little things, those you are leading 

will have confidence in you. They will learn by your example 

what it means to be faithful. 

The great importance of faith is taught in Hebrews 11:6, 

“Without faith it is impossible to please God.” If there is a key


to success in service to God, it is faith. One person can look at 

an area where there are no believers and say it is impossible to 

start a church there. Another will see it as a great opportunity 

for a church. Faith in God’s power means we believe we 

can accomplish work that appears humanly impossible. 

Demonstrating faith in the midst of problems and difficulties 

is the best way to help others learn to exercise faith in God’s 

power. 

Application 

13 Circle the letter of each TRUE statement below. 

a) Jesus showed the meaning of ministry by washing the 

disciples’ feet. 

b) Jesus said that one who rules is the same as one who serves. 

c) Teaching the truth of being willing to serve is the most 

important task of the church planter. 

d) Sweeping the church is a useful ministry to the church. 

e) A pastor who shepherds a church mainly because he feels he 

must has the right attitude. 

f) Faith in God’s power can best be learned by trusting God in 

very difficult situations. 

Advanced Training 

Occasionally there are pastors who make the mistake of 

wanting to keep good leaders tied to their local churches too 

long. It is true that the local church is where the development 

of leaders begins and is nourished. However, the ultimate goal 

of training leaders in the local church is to produce not only 

local leaders, but also leaders for every ministry of the church 

worldwide. Evangelists, teachers, pastors, and executives for 

the church organization must be developed. God has given the 

ministry of gifts of governing, the word of knowledge, and the 

word of wisdom to various believers in the church (Romans 

12:8; 1 Corinthians 12:28). For new churches to be planted and 

expanded, pastors must recognize and encourage those whom 

the Lord is calling to full time ministry.


159 

The apostle Paul recognized the sincere faith and gift of 

God that was in Timothy (2 Timothy 1:5–6). It is evident that 

Timothy was with Paul in the ministry for a short time, perhaps 

only a few months (Acts 16:2–4). Then Timothy was sent to 

Ephesus and other churches to fulfill his work as a pastorteacher. 

Titus, Tychicus, Artemas, and others had contact with 

the apostles, but they were sent out to their own ministries in 

the various churches of Asia. Paul refers to them in Colossians, 

Ephesians, and Philippians not as “apprentices” but as “fellow 

ministers.” 

Short-term or extension Bible schools are useful presentday 

systems that train believers in centers at or near their local 

churches. These schools may have courses that run from one 

week to several months. The classes may meet in intensive 

weekend seminars or at night for many weeks. This process 

enables those who have church or job responsibilities to have 

the advantage of advanced Bible training without having to 

leave their daily work. The schools may use materials from a 

resident Bible school. Some schools are taught by experienced 

teachers or pastors using Global University courses in a 

seminar method. These schools are effective middle-level 

systems of Bible training because they allow for many more 

people to receive training. This increases the ministry of the 

local church. 

Resident Bible colleges provide an excellent place for 

the training of future teachers, pastors, and national church 

executives who are needed to provide leadership for the 

advancement of the church. These schools are for those who 

have already proved themselves as leaders and show evidence 

of God’s call on their lives. 

The years in a Bible institute or college expose a student 

to a variety of ministries from qualified, experienced teachers. 

It is valuable for full-time study in God’s Word, further 

development of a strong devotional life, and benefit from the 

experience of working and ministering with others who are 

called to the ministry of the gospel.


Application 

14 Circle the letters of the TRUE statements which express 

correct ideas related to the purpose and method of training 

church leaders. 

a) The local church is a good place for a person who desires to 

be a pastor to prove his ministry and leadership potential. 

b) Paul’s method of training leaders shows that potential 

leaders should serve many years as apprentices. 

c) The flexibility of short-term or extension Bible schools 

allows more people to study Bible courses than a regular 

resident school program. 

d) Resident Bible colleges are the best places to identify 

possible church leaders. 

e) Bible college provides the advantage of exposure to 

teaching by qualified, experienced teachers. 

Each local church should be like a seedbed. After the plants 

sprout in a seedbed and begin to grow tall, there is no more 

space for them in the bed. The farmer carefully transplants 

them to the fields where they will have room to grow and 

produce good crop. 

A good church planter will train people in the new churches. 

As they grow spiritually and become good leaders, he will not 

try to keep them all working in the same local church. Spiritual 

leaders bear much more fruit out in the field than they do in the 

seedbed. There are still many places in the world today where 

“‘the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few’” (Luke 10:2). 

A wise leader will help new leaders develop and then send them 

out to new places in the harvest field.


161 

self-test 

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Circle the letter of the correct answer. 

1 Leaders are needed within the membership of the local 

church 

a) to give members a sense of belonging. 

b) to insure the stability, continuity, and expansion of the 

ministry of the church. 

c) for the encouragement of the members. 

d) because this is the principle taught by the apostle Paul. 

2 A church planter who tries to do all the work of the church 

himself 

a) will be sure that the work is done correctly. 

b) will teach the new believers by his example. 

c) will cause discontent and limit the growth of a church. 

d) should bring in an assistant from a neighboring established 

church. 

3 The qualifications for church leaders 

a) will vary according to the needs and standards of the local 

community. 

b) are specifically stated in Scripture and are applicable to all 

times and cultures. 

c) are too difficult for new Christians to attain. 

d) are specifically stated in Scripture as well as how each task 

should be performed. 

4 On-the-job training for the ministry may be described as 

a) workers who learn by doing the task. 

b) observing experienced preachers as they minister. 

c) reading books about effective soul-winning. 

d) the method suitable only for those without formal schooling. 

5 Which of these statements best describes the responsibility 

of the body of Christ to take the gospel to the world? 

a) Every believer has a part in taking the gospel of Christ to 

the lost. 

b) Certain believers are called to witness to the lost.


6 In the New Testament the first principle of training church 

leaders was 

a) intellectual preparation. 

b) extensive practice in preaching. 

c) training in church administration. 

d) spiritual preparation. 

7 The significant point of Jesus teaching that whoever can be 

trusted with very little can be trusted with much is that 

a) few people can be trusted with much. 

b) faithfulness is a quality of character seen under all 

circumstances. 

c) a person may appear righteous but be untrustworthy. 

8 The apostle Paul’s method of training church leaders was to 

give them 

a) detailed directions and personal oversight at all times. 

b) encouragement to exercise their gift of ministry and 

opportunities to do so. 

c) extensive periods of close supervision and frequent letters 

giving instructions. 

9 All of the following are correct statements regarding the 

advantages of short-term Bible schools EXCEPT: 

a) People with work responsibilities can more easily attend 

classes at short-term schools. 

b) They are less costly than most residence schools. 

c) One can receive a Bible degree in less time at a short-term 

school. 

d) Such schools make it possible for more people to take Bible 

training courses.


163 

10 Match the qualities required of a deacon (right) with the 

evidence of the quality (left). 

. . . a His employer leaves him in charge 

of the shop. 

. . . b He continues teaching a study class 

in spite of unjust criticism. 

. . . c He returns a kind answer to an 

angry accusation. 

. . . d He is contented when not thanked 

for his work at church. 

. . . e Even when busy or tired, he invites 

lonely people to his home. 

. . . f He is happy to deny himself so he 

can give extra offerings. 

1) Self-controlled 

2) Hospitable 

3) Not greedy 

4) Of good 

reputation 

5) Mature 

Christian



8 a True 

b False 

c True 

d True 

e False 

f True 

1 b) He will train leaders in the local church, being sure they 

learn how to teach others. 

9 Your answer should include: 1) the workers were given 

spiritual preparation, 2) preparation by experience, and 3) 

many workers were trained. 

2 Any three of the following or similar answer: 

1) A local leader is more acceptable to the church. 

2) Producing leaders is a ministry of the church. 

3) It is a means of strengthening the church. 

4) The church will be happy and united when members are 

working together. 

10 In Luke 22:24 the disciples were disputing about which of 

them was the greatest. 

3 a True 

b False 

c True 

d True 

11 The disciples had been wanting to exalt themselves. Jesus 

showed them that to minister or teach they must take the role 

of a servant. 

4 The emphasis is on what the man is, rather than on what he 

does. This emphasizes that if he has the qualities of Christian 

character, then his actions will be Christ-like. 

12 If we are to reach people successfully, we must be like Jesus. 

If we are to minister and lead, we must serve in love.


165 

5 Your answer. For example, you know a man has a good 

reputation and is respected because the people of the town 

come to him for advice. Obviously they will trust him to take 

care of the offerings they give to the church. 

13 a True 

b True 

c False. Being a servant is most important. 

d True 

e False. He should serve as pastor because he is willing. 

f True 

6 Your answer may be similar to these: 

Temperate 

Husband of one wife 

Hospitable 

Not a lover of money 

Not quarrelsome, self-controlled 

A good reputation 

Not a new convert 

Manages his home and family well, is respected 

14 a True 

b False 

c True 

d False. The local church is the best place. 

e True 

7 Your answer


LESSON 

7 

Practical Advice on 

Church Planting 

After discussing the biblical mandate and theory of church 

planting, it is time to ask the question, “OK, now what do I 

do?” In this lesson we will discuss the practical matters of 

church planting. Under examination are various models for 

church planting as well as the practical considerations and steps 

necessary to start a new church.

P r a c t i c a l A d v i c e o n C h u r c h P l a n t i n g 

167 


Has God Called Me To Be A Church Planter? 

What Should I Know Before I Begin? 

How Have Others Done It? 

Steps To Follow 

The Role of Media 

Other Helpful Materials 


When you complete this lesson, you should be able to: 

1. Determine whether or not God is calling you to start a 

church. 

2. Articulate what the new church will be like. 

3. Discuss the various methodologies available to plant a new 

church. 

4. Indicate the practical process of starting a new church. 

5. Describe the use of media in modern ministry. 


1. Read the lesson and do the exercises in the lesson 

development. Check your answers with those given at the 

end of the lesson. 


answers carefully with the answers given in the back of this 

textbook. Review any items you answer incorrectly.



Has God Called Me to Be A Church 

Planter? 

Objective 1. Determine whether or not God is calling you to start a 

church. 

Some people set out on the process of church planting 

without much planning or forethought, and often the result is 

failure. This is discouraging to the Christian worker and is a 

poor testimony to the community. 

Before beginning any project of this nature it is necessary 

to ask ourselves some fundamental questions: Has God called 

me to do this? Do I have the giftings necessary to be a church 

planter? We as believers are expected to serve with excellence. 

The scriptures tell us that “whatever your hand finds to do, do it 

with all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). This should especially 

apply to the concept of starting new churches. 

The planting of a new church is a sophisticated process and 

not one for the faint of heart. It is commonly thought that a 

church is started by holding public services when in fact this is 

the end of a lengthy, well-thought-out process. 

The scriptures offer practical wisdom by admonishing us 

to consider the cost before we begin building (Luke 14:28). 

Before beginning the process of starting a new church it is 

necessary to go through serious soul searching. 

Application 

1 In your notebook, write the following questions and 

prayerfully answer each one. If you are married include your 

spouse in this process. 

Self-Evaluation Survey 

a) Do I have definite call to pastoral ministry? 

b) Is my call to this specific community? 

c) Do I have the gift of evangelism?


169 

d) What actual, verifiable spiritual gifts do I possess, which 

will enable me to reach this community? 

e) Do I have a support system for starting a new church? 

f) Can I build a church planting team, and if so, how? 

g) Do wise and knowledgeable persons verify that I am gifted 

for church planting? 

h) Does my spouse share the sense of call to plant this church, 

and have we discussed the financial pressures and spiritual 

strength necessary to endure difficulty in this task? 

i) Will I ask others to help support me for a time or will I be 

self-supporting? 

j) If others are to support me, why should they support me? 

k) Will this new church relate strongly to a denomination or 

organization? 

l) Do I understand the needs of the community? 

m) Do I know what style of worship music is most acceptable 

to the target group? 

n) Do I have a strategy for property, first facilities and staff? 

o) How much will property cost to purchase or rent in the 

area? 

p) How much will the first building cost? 

q) Have I estimated salaries, benefits, rent, utilities, materials, 

special events, printing, advertising, and mission 

contributions for the first three years? 

r) Do I have a backup strategy should my first strategy not 

succeed? (Cheyney 2005) 

2 Having answered these questions, how do you feel about 

your decision to plant a church? 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Advice on Calling 

Confirm your call. If you aren’t sure that God’s 

calling you to this, don’t do it. Yes, it’s hard


work, but spiritually it is work at the “pointy 

end” of God’s Kingdom and you will encounter 

difficulty, hardship, opposition. That stuff can 

either shape you and mold you in to someone 

more fruitful or it will kill you. I would 

definitely recommend getting your call to plant 

confirmed by more seasoned and wise men— 

via a network or denomination or the like— 

before you launch out. (Chant 2007) 

What Should I Know Before I Begin? 

Objective 2. Articulate what the new church will be like. 

Philosophy of Ministry 

A biblical philosophy of ministry is a set 

of non-negotiable, biblical principles that 

guides all the choices and decisions in your 

ministry. Your philosophy of ministry should 

be drawn from a careful investigation of both 

the explicit teaching of Scripture and any 

implicit methodologies which can be gleaned 

from seeing how ministry occurred in the early 

church. (Philosophy of Ministry) 

It is a misguided perception of church planting to hold 

public meetings without first knowing where the church is 

supposed to be headed. Jesus is the Lord of the harvest. Each 

church is to be a unique expression of the bride of Christ. If you 

simply take off headlong into the future without forethought of 

what this new church’s role is to be in the Kingdom, you will 

never live up to the potential that the Lord has given you. As a 

result, the church will not fulfill its role. 

God has a plan already laid out for the church you are going 

to start. He knows where they will meet, what segment of the 

population it is to reach, the types of ministries it is to offer, etc. 

You must first hear from God in prayer concerning the who, 

what, when, where, and how. Then you must do the hard work 

of thinking things through. He who goes off in all directions


171 

ends up nowhere. Believers often erroneously think that being 

spiritual and being philosophical are opposing concepts. But 

God expects His children to do their best at everything. 

Before the church is officially started, the church planting 

team should have a good picture of what the new congregation 

will be like. The church planter and or church planting team 

should have clearly defined their target group, the style of 

ministry and worship the church will use to minister to its 

people, and the purpose of this particular church. They should 

have a clearly defined statement of theological beliefs upon 

which the church will be built, and the values that the church 

will embrace from the pastor all the way to the newest believer. 

You must know what you are all about. If not, those who 

come in will determine what the church believes and becomes, 

how it operates and who it reaches. Most of all, it is imperative 

that we are faithful to the scriptures. While it is true that 

methods do change with generations and cultures, some core 

principles will never change. We must build our ministries 

around those values. 

Application 

3 In your notebook, write a paragraph describing what group 

of people you wish to reach. Include what style of ministry and 

worship would be appropriate for this people group. 

The Purpose of the Church 

Each church has its own purpose. This may sound a bit odd 

but think about it for a moment. Of course, all churches are to 

win the lost and make disciples but God also has a unique role 

for each local assembly to fulfill as well. 

Ask yourself: What is it that God is saying to my heart? 

What is to be the driving force of the church? What is that one 

thing that everyone should rally around? Why does God want 

this church started?


Too many churches wander from philosophy to philosophy 

without any clear sense of where they are going. This will take 

the church nowhere and cause the people to lose confidence in 

their leader. It is hard to build a fruitful church if the people do 

not have a singular sense of why they are there and what this 

particular local body’s God-given purpose is. 

Before starting something and asking God to bless our efforts 

we need to take the time to find out what God desires to do and 

follow His lead. For the pastor, the leaders, and the congregation 

to have a good grasp on what this new church will be about, 

time should be spent putting on paper the vision, the values, 

and the beliefs that the new congregation will embrace. This is 

not a quick and easy process but one that requires much prayer, 

discussion, and writing to craft a clear, concise document. This 

effectively places a picture of the future church on paper. This 

will place the leadership and core group of believers on the same 

track and serve as a good foundation for the new church. 

The writing of this document will save much time, money, 

and effort because it empowers the leadership to say no and to 

avoid distractions that are outside of the vision, core values, 

and doctrine of the church. 

It may help you to see what other churches have written as 

their purpose statement. You can find many purpose statements 

by going online and typing in “church purpose statement” in a 

search engine window. 

Application 

4 Considering the church you wish to plant, describe what 

particular purpose or role this new church is to play in the body 

of Christ of your community. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


173 

The Beliefs of the Church 

If the core biblical beliefs of the church are not properly 

processed, written out, and agreed upon from the beginning, 

people who join your fellowship may seek to impose their own 

values and doctrines on others. This can bring confusion and 

disharmony. A written statement of doctrine read and signed by 

all members will allow for unity and biblical discipline if and 

when necessary. 

Stetzer (2006) wrote, “Our beliefs are those primary issues 

of theology that define what we believe about God, Jesus, the 

Holy Spirit, man, sin, the Bible, the role of the Church, and 

salvation.” To construct a belief statement you may observe 

the work of other churches by searching online under “church 

doctrinal statements.” 

Application 

5 Create a brief doctrinal statement that will guide the life of 

the newly-planted church. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

How Have Others Done It? 

Objective 3. Discuss the various methodologies available to plant a 

new church. 

While in some parts of the world inviting people to a public 

crusade can easily launch a new church, this is not the norm 

in most places today. When planting a new church, gathering 

a core group of believers to serve as workers, musicians, 

teachers, prayer partners, and financial supporters is of utmost 

importance. To do this you must build relationships with the 

community at large. We will examine just a few ways in which 

this can be done.


1. HIVING OFF: If the new church plant is part of the 

mission strategy of an existing church, members with the 

blessing of the mother congregation can be sent with the church 

planter to serve as a nucleus of the new church. This can 

propel the church forward much more quickly. One drawback 

is that some old traditions also come with believers from an 

established church which could inhibit a creative new approach 

of ministry as well as the potential for the church to be inward 

focused from its inception. 

2. HOME BIBLE STUDIES: Another good way to begin 

ministering in a new area is to invite neighbors and other 

interested persons to an individual’s home for informal weekly 

Bible studies. In this way a nucleus can be formed with no 

financial outlay and no need for rented facilities. This informal 

setting allows for personal interaction, giving the seeker the 

opportunity to ask questions and be discipled. 

3. DOOR-TO-DOOR PRAYER: The team goes from door 

to door in the target area meeting people and asking if there 

is anything they can pray with them about. This method of 

gathering a core group is simple and effective as people are 

eager to share their anxieties and troubles with someone who 

has a sympathetic heart. Sometimes people will share their life 

story with a team member. As time goes along and people’s 

prayers are answered, opportunities to share Christ and bring 

them to the Lord will naturally arise. These people over time 

become part of the core of the newly forming church. 

4. CHILDREN’S EVENTS: Vacation Bible Schools and 

Sidewalk Sunday Schools are great ways to win children to 

Jesus Christ. Touch a child and you touch a family. Parents are 

moved when someone loves and blesses their children. Special 

events geared toward ministering to children are a great way 

to build relationships and a sense of community. As people are 

exposed to your ministry to know the team and appreciate the 

newly forming church’s love for the community they will begin 

to trust you.


175 

5. SPECIAL EVENTS: Find out what the needs of your 

community are and create events to meet those needs in order 

to meet people and pray with them. This creates friendships 

and trust, which are valuable commodities for a newly forming 

church (Wagner 1990). 

One church in Bartlesville, Oklahoma (USA) holds an 

annual “Day of Hope.” The people who come register by 

giving their name and contact information, and they receive 

free clothing and food. Also available to the public are health 

screenings and haircuts, all at no cost. As people are guided 

through the process, they are struck by the love and care shown 

to them. Attendees have the opportunity to have believers pray 

with them, and they are given a complimentary Bible as a 

parting gift. This event created a great sense of appreciation and 

trust from the local community. 

When considering the process of church planting, one 

must keep in mind that there are many ways in which it can be 

approached. God is creative, so must His servants be. Because 

one method worked in a certain area does not mean that it 

will work in yours. Cultures differ from region to region and 

sometimes from town to town. The planter would also do well 

to remember that just because church planting has always 

been done one way in your area does not mean that a different 

approach will not work just as well or even better. Culture 

is living and as time passes cultures change and so must our 

methods in order to remain relevant and effective. 

The following are church planting strategies suggested by 

www.newchurches.com: 

1. Parachute: A planter and his or her family move into a 

new location to start a church from scratch. This is perhaps 

the most common method and one which most people think of 

when they think of church planting. 

2. Sponsoring Church or Organization/Mother Church: 

“An existing church or church planting organization provides 

the initial leadership and resources (dollars and/or people) to 

get a new church started including the selection of the church


planter. Often the church planter is selected from within the 

organization and has already bought into the vision, values and 

beliefs of the sponsoring organization.” 

This is an excellent method of church planting widely used 

around the world. This method allows the new church planter 

to have an experienced pastor mentoring him or her as well as 

the financial and prayer support of an established congregation. 

Often the church board of the mother church will function as 

the board of the new church until such time as deacons can 

be raised up from within the new congregation, providing 

seasoned leadership and accountability from the start. 

3. Collaborative Network/Partnership: “This is a rapidly 

growing trend where an organization (or many organizations) 

committed to church planting work together to plant churches.” 

This is a great way for small churches to be involved in the 

process of church planting. Through sharing the load with other 

churches to mother new congregations several small churches 

working together can accomplish what they never could have 

working alone. 

4. Satellite/Campus/Multi-site: “An existing church opens 

new locations. The idea is for one church to have many meeting 

locations.” Utilizing this method an existing church can start a 

new church without having to find, train, or pay new pastors or 

staff. One ministry team can minister in multiple locations over 

the course of a weekend (New Churches). 

Think outside of tradition regarding the time and location 

of meetings. Sunday is the ideal for weekly services, but as 

one reaches out to a particular group of people the planter may 

discover that for unforeseen reasons such as work schedules 

or other obstacles, the target group can meet only at a time 

other than Sundays. Keep in mind as well that services do 

not necessarily have to happen in a “church” building to be 

effective. The church is not a building; it is the people. 

In establishing a congregation among Filipino immigrants 

in Moscow, Russia, one group discovered that many of the 

Filipinos were unable to attend services on Sundays. The only


177 

time during the week they could meet was late on Friday nights 

at their place of employment. Upon securing permission from 

the employer, a ministry to Filipinos was started at 9:00 on 

Friday nights at their place of employment. This group quickly 

grew because the church was designed to meet their needs. 

It is imperative that the new church be built around the 

target culture instead of the culture having to adapt to religious 

tradition. As the planter strives to birth new churches one 

must keep in mind that the object of one’s ministry efforts is 

unchurched people. We are striving to impart the Gospel not 

church tradition. 

Advice on Flexibility 

Things will not go the way you think they will 

go. That’s ok. God is up to something. He’ll let 

you in on it when He’s ready. Pray every day 

for the strength to handle whatever situations 

might come up. (Payne) 

The International Church Concept 

Another effective church planting concept is that of a 

multi-congregational multilingual church. All around the world 

communities are becoming increasingly diverse due to ease 

of transportation, the globalization of economies, educational 

opportunities, and so forth. 

In larger cities pockets of immigrants tend to find each 

other and form sub-communities within the larger context 

maintaining their distinct language and culture. This essentially 

isolates these people groups from the Gospel witness available 

to the community at large. It is vital that Christian workers have 

a clear understanding of this trend and address it with their 

church planting efforts. 

In the multicultural or international church model an existing 

church intentionally seeks to connect with and minister to other 

ethnic and language groups located within their city. As these 

people come into the mother congregation, the church will


provide translation of services into their language and over time 

a new congregation is birthed to facilitate this growing language 

group. Leaders are then trained to pastor the new congregation 

who either moves to a new location of their own or continues to 

be a part of the mother church. With this concept it is possible on 

a weekend to have many services between Friday evening and 

Sunday evening. The pastor of the mother congregation serves as 

the Senior Pastor for the entire multi-congregational church and 

the pastors of the individual groups serve as associate pastors. 

The official Board of deacons is comprised of members from 

each of the congregations, and expenses and responsibilities are 

divided among the groups depending on their ability. 

Application 

6 Make a list of three church planting methods you think might 

work in your area. Describe how you would adapt one of these 

methods to make it work in your culture. 

Steps to Follow 

Objective 4. Indicate the practical process of starting a new church. 

Tom Cheyney, J. David Putman, and Van Sanders of the 

North American Mission Board outlined seven steps to follow 

in the church planting process. 

1. Receive a Vision from God 

Sometimes we ministers think of a vision for ministry as our 

own. However, as Christians we should seek to find and fulfill 

God’s will, not our own. Starting a church is not our idea but 

God’s. Have you ever thought that God wants to incorporate 

you in His project, not the other way around? Seek God in 

prayer, and allow Him to give you His vision. He is already at 

work. Your responsibility is to find out what He is up to and 

participate with that vision. If you do you will be a success.


179 

Advice on Vision 

“Don’t compromise your vision. If you believe 

you have a vision for a church from God, hold 

on to it and don’t compromise it for short term 

gain. What I mean is this, in the early days you 

will have some Christian folk come across your 

path who will want in, but they will want in 

on their terms or with their agenda. The issues 

might not be huge, but I can’t tell you how 

important it is to ensure you are absolutely 

clear and upfront with everyone on where you 

stand. If it means a smaller core, or you wait 

longer before commencing a ministry or filling 

a position—WAIT. We all want things done 

yesterday, but unless they are fully on board 

with the vision it is a false economy.” (Chant 

2007) 

2. Define Church Planting Focus Group 

Just as it is important to define the purpose and beliefs of the 

new church before beginning so it is also of great importance 

to discover just who God wants you to reach. Often our 

communities are segmented by race, religion, socio-economics, 

lifestyles, etc. It is wise for the church planter to realize that he 

or she cannot reach everyone with one style of ministry. So it is 

necessary to focus on a particular group of people, whether it is 

one particular neighborhood, people group, language group, or 

else. 

Advice on Contextualization 

“Know your Target. Buy the demographic data 

and live in the area. Determine who you will 

best reach and develop a basic plan to reach 

them. Don’t over-program! Spend significant 

time hanging around them. Join the groups 

they have joined. Love them, don’t treat them 

as a project. Pray for them every single day!” 

(Payne).


3. Develop a Church Planting Team 

“In order for the project to be successful the church planter 

must recruit others to aid in the work. There are a myriad of 

jobs to be performed each week and one person simply cannot 

accomplish it all. It is imperative therefore to develop a church 

planting team in order to carry this out. The team can be made 

up of people from a mother church assisting in the church plant, 

new believers who have joined the core, family, friends, and 

ministry colleagues who have come along side to help.” 

The size of a church planting team will vary greatly from 

situation to situation. Sometimes the team consists of as few as 

the new pastor and his family or as many as one or two hundred 

people who are sent from a mother church to serve as the core 

for a new church. In any case it is important that the church 

planter have as many people helping as possible. 

Divide your workers into teams based on skills and 

interests. Everyone can do something. Divide the work, and 

invest time and knowledge into your workers. 

If at all possible the church planter should bring on the team 

a music/worship leader and a spiritual development pastor. 

Music is a critical part of the life of the church. As you begin 

the process of planning, pray specifically for the Lord to send 

you people who can fill these critical roles. 

Advice on Going It Alone 

“Surround yourself with wise counselors. 

Take to heart the following two passages from 

Proverbs: “For by wise guidance you can wage 

your war, and in abundance of counselors 

there is victory” (24:6) and “Whoever isolates 

himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out 

against all sound judgment” (18:1). You need to 

surround yourself with counselors. You need to 

seek out both “fathers” and “brothers.” A father 

is an older counselor that has been through 

the fire and can pastor you with his wisdom.


181 

A brother is a person close to you in age and 

maturity who can relate to your struggle in 

the “now sense” and can challenge/encourage 

you in the battle. You should seek counselors 

from within your network/denomination and 

without.” (Foster 2007) 

4. Identify Resources 

In the early planning stages the church planting team should 

think through realistically what start up costs are going to be 

involved. Costs depend on what type of church model you use, 

how many tithe-paying believers you already have in your core, 

etc. 

Set up a budget which includes everything you can think of. 

Search online to see what others have included in their church 

planting budgets. Some financial considerations for the first 

year are: salary for the church planter, rent of a suitable facility, 

cost of utilities for the facility, musical and sound equipment, 

promotional costs of literature, special events, etc. 

5. Evangelize Unreached People 

The purpose of a new church is to bring the lost to Christ, 

not to attract believers from other churches. 

6. Launch Public Ministry 

It is advisable not to begin public services until you have a 

core group that is committed to Christ and to the new church 

plant. 

During the planning stages as you consider who you 

will be ministering to, what kinds of ministry you will be 

providing, etc. consider what kind of facilities the church is 

going to use. When we think about facilities for the church 

to meet in we tend to think of buying land and constructing 

a new church building on the site. If funds are available this 

method is, of course, preferable, but there are many other 

types of locations in which the church can meet. Schools, 

hotel conference rooms, shopping center store fronts, theaters,


community centers, hotels, etc. all make good meeting places. 

These alternate locations can offer unforeseen advantages 

that traditional church buildings lack because they force the 

church to be in the market place of society much more than a 

traditional “religious” building. Churches tend to become more 

internally focused and isolated from society the older they get. 

Remember, the reason the church is being planted is to infiltrate 

society with the gospel and illustrate biblical life to our culture. 

The fewer barriers we put between us and society at large the 

better for them to experience the gospel and for us to be pushed 

into sharing it. 

When considering facilities your church will use, visualize 

how you want your church to interact with society. Since you 

are going to be a church planter, you need to see yourself as 

an innovator. You are going to create something that has never 

existed before. Why use your creativity and innovation to create 

a traditional church where the lost are forced to come to the 

church. Take the church to the lost. 

7. Mobilize and Multiply Ministry 

If the new church is to grow and be healthy, systems 

must be set in place for the church to focus continually on 

evangelism and discipleship. There must be a system of 

leadership training in place to move members into ministry and 

leadership. There is a tendency once the church is several years 

old for the members to sit back while the staff and a very small 

portion of the members are involved in ministry. Once this 

mentality begins the church is on a downhill slide from which it 

is difficult to recover (Seven Steps 2003). 

Application 

7 If you were to begin a church plant today, who would you 

have on your team? In your notebook, write the names of people 

who could be a part of your church planting team and what role 

each of them would play.


183 

The Role of Media 

Objective 5. Describe the use of media in modern ministry. 

Ipods, cell phones, television, movies, and the internet are 

major driving forces in the modern world. The learning style of 

most cultures of our day is less oral and much more visual. 

One very effective way of getting the Gospel out is the 

internet. Even if people do not own a computer, internet cafes 

have made them accessible in most places. Creating a website, 

blogging, or using social networking sites such as FaceBook 

and MySpace are all great ways to get out information. 

There are a number of websites where you can set up a blog 

absolutely free. 

These tools allow you to communicate and interact with 

the public. You can post pictures, mp3 sound files, and videos 

on the internet for free. Many people who might not come to a 

church will go to an internet site and read, watch and listen to 

the gospel presented by your team. With a simple email address 

on your site you can correspond with the viewers in a nonthreatening 

way, witnessing to and discipling them. 

Because media is such a huge part of modern culture we 

would be remiss if we did not include it as part of the modern 

worship service. Using PowerPoint presentations, videos, and 

object lessons will greatly increase the interest and learning of 

your people. Jesus was a master of illustrated lessons. 

As with all material you study, the methods delineated 

in this lesson should be adapted to your local context. Some 

things will not work in your local situation because of certain 

restrictions or cultural barriers. However, many of these 

concepts can be contextualized and implemented. Ask the Lord 

how to proceed. He already has a plan. Your job is to discover 

that plan and follow His leading.


Other Helpful Materials 

Below are resources you may be interested in obtaining if 

you are serious about church planting. Read at least one book 

a month and continue to be a learner and innovator your whole 

ministerial life. Prayerfully seek the Lord about the ideas you 

discover in your readings. He may prompt you to implement 

some of them. Or God may want you to modify some of 

the ideas to better fit your context. Never be satisfied with 

yesterday’s results. Believe God for great things! 

Suggested Books 

Collins, James, and Jerry Porras. 1994. Built to Last. New York: 

Harper Business. 

Collins, Jim. 2001. From Good to Great: Why Some Companies 

Make the Leap and Others Don’t. New York: Harper 

Collins. 

George, Carl. 1991. Prepare Your Church for the Future. 

Tarrytown, NY: Fleming H. Revell Co. 

George, Carl, and Warren Bird. 1994. The Coming Church 

Revolution: Empowering Leaders for the Future. Grand 

Rapids: Fleming H. Revell. 

Gerber, Michael. 1995. The E-Myth: Why Most Small 

Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. New York: 

Harper Business. 

Hybels, Bill. 2002. Courageous Leadership. Grand Rapids: 

Zondervan. 

Jones, Tom, et al. Church Planting From the Ground Up. 

Joplin, MO. College Press Publishing. 

Malphurs, Aubrey. 1992. Planting Growing Churches for the 

21st Century. Grand Rapids: Baker. 

Nebel, Tom, and Gary Rohrmayer. 2004. Church Planting 

Landmines. St. Charles, IL: ChurchSmart Resources. 

Rainer, Thom. 2003. The Unchurched Next Door. Grand 

Rapids: Zondervan. 

———. 2001. Surprising Insights From the Unchurched and 

Proven Ways to Reach Them. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 

Russell, Bob and Rusty. 2000. When God Builds a Church: 10 

Principles for Growing a Dynamic Church. West Monroe,


185 

LA: Howard Publishing Co. 

Stetzer, Ed. 2006. Planting Missional Churches. Nashville, TN: 

Broadman & Holman. 

Wagner, Peter. 1998. The New Apostolic Churches. Ventura, 

CA: Regal Books. 

———. 1990. Church Planting for a Greater Harvest. Ventura, 

CA: Regal Books. 

Warren, Rick. 1995. The Purpose Driven Church. Grand 

Rapids: Zondervan. 

Suggested Websites 

www.churchplantingvillage.com 

www.newchurches.com 

http://churchplanting4me.com/churchplantingresources.htm


self-test 

1 A person needs a specific calling to plant a church. 

a) True 

b) False 

2 Philosophy of Ministry is defined as 

a) a set of unchangeable principles that guide the life of the 

church. 

b) the way the church planters feel about church life. 

c) a blend of philosophy and theology. 

3 Why do the biblical beliefs of the church need to be written 

out from the beginning? 

a) To keep accurate church records 

b) So you will not forget your doctrine. 

c) If the leadership team does not define what the church 

believes, someone else will. 

4 When considering the process of church planting there are 

many ways in which it can be approached. 

a) True 

b) False 

5 The methods we use must change depending on where we 

are planting a church. 

a) True 

b) False 

6 In order to fulfill the vision for the new church 

a) we must plan and think of what our personal vision should 

be. 

b) we should get advice and ideas from several trusted people. 

c) we should seek God to find His will and participate in that. 

7 It is important to know who you are going to minister to 

before you start a church. 

a) True 

b) False


187 

8 As a general rule, an effective church planter should start 

public services 

a) at the very beginning of the church planting process. 

b) as soon as the planter has defined his or her ministry 

philosophy. 

c) after the planter has formed a core group of believers. 

9 Developing a system of leadership training to move 

members into ministry should be planned for several years later. 

a) True 

b) False 

10 Using media in ministry 

a) compromises the church by making us worldly. 

b) is effective as more cultures today are visual and 

technological. 

c) shifts focus away from the Word of God.


LESSON 

8 

A Plan for 

Multiplication 

“Brother Eyo, you know how thrilled we’ve been about 

what God has been doing at Gane. Last week we shared our 

feelings with James, the pastor at Bentu. However, he just 

listened in silence and reacted strangely to our report. What did 

we do wrong? Should we not have shared what God is doing at 

Gane?” 

Brother Eyo responded, “You were not wrong to share the 

victories God has given at Gane, but you must remember that 

not all churches have been established on the same, healthy, 

biblical principles that you used at Gane.” 

Sometimes churches that have been established apart 

from the three “self” principles struggle for years before new 

leadership, new vision, and a fresh move of the Holy Spirit 

make it possible to break out of the old mold and experience 

life, health, and spiritual vitality. 

Some of you reading this lesson may be pastoring or will 

pastor churches that are not growing and multiplying. Although 

it may be easier to build a good church from the beginning, it 

is also true that God wants every local church to be alive and 

working to win souls to Christ, and He has a plan that will 

make this possible. As you study this lesson let the Holy Spirit 

help you discover His plan for you to use so that your church 

may become a multiplying church.

A P l a n f o r M u l t i p l i c a t i o n 

189 


Determining the Problem 

Recognizing Spiritual Need 

Planning for Change 

Implementing Change 



1. Explain why a church may not be multiplying. 

2. Identify the characteristics that are necessary to bring about 

spiritual renewal. 

3. Identify the basic principles for changing a non-multiplying 

local church into a growing body of believers. 

4. List four scriptural principles of evangelism today. 


1. Study the lesson in the same manner as you have done for 

previous lessons. Be sure to read all Scripture texts given, 

for they are important to a full understanding of the lesson. 

Answer all study questions and check your answers with 

those we have given. 

2. Take the self-test and check your answer. 

3. Answer the questions in Unit Student Report 3, then submit 

your answer sheet to your GU instructor. 

key words 

clue persist revival 

corporate renewal violation 

implement 

resource



Determining the Problem 

Objective 1. Explain why a church may not be multiplying. 

If a church is not multiplying, the first step in seeking a 

solution is to find the cause. There may be various causes, but 

usually the basic reason is that the church was not founded 

on, or is not following, the self concepts. The concepts of 

self-government, self-support, and self-propagation are the 

important foundational principles you studied in Unit 2 of this 

course. There are several reasons why these principles may 

have been ignored or violated. 

1. Reasons for no self-government. Perhaps without 

realizing it, the church planter may have an attitude that hinders 

the church’s progress in becoming a multiplying church. 

Because he wants to help the church grow and be strong, he 

takes too much responsibility on himself and thus delays the 

church in the development of self government. The church 

planter may not wish to give up his authority as church leader. 

It may not be because he thinks he is important, but because he 

sincerely believes the church needs his help and he believes he 

can do the work much better than anyone else. 

2. Reasons for no self-support. The church planter or 

mother church may continue to help the new church even 

though it could become self-supporting. As you studied in 

Lesson 5, there are dangers if the new church depends on 

financial help and workers from outside sources. Although 

the development may be slower, the church will be more 

permanently established and have a greater ministry when the 

resources are from within the church body. 

3. Reasons for no self-propagation. The believers may 

not have learned their responsibility as the church body. Some 

people have the mistaken idea that evangelism, teaching, and 

prayer is the work of the pastor or a few church leaders. Part 

of this problem may be that the church planter is too impatient.


191 

He wants to see the church grow. He wants quick results and 

does not have the patience to teach new believers. He must be 

willing to allow the new Christians to learn and develop at their 

own pace. 

Application 

1 Which reasons may hinder a church in becoming a 

multiplying church? 

a) The church planter is reluctant to give authority and 

responsibility to members of the church body. 

b) The mother church allows the daughter church to rely on its 

own resources as soon as possible. 

c) The church members believe it is the pastor’s responsibility 

to evangelize the surrounding communities. 

d) Because he is more experienced, the church planter makes 

all decisions regarding the finances and governing of the 

church. 

e) The church planter does not fear slow growth if it allows the 

church body to assume its responsibilities, and the church 

does continue to grow. 

Recognizing Spiritual Need 

Objective 2. Identify the characteristics that are necessary to bring 

about spiritual renewal. 

Unless a local church is growing, it is not fulfilling its 

purpose. In Lesson 1 you studied that the purpose of the church 

is to evangelize and teach. Obedience to this purpose results in 

continual growth. 

As the church joins in prayer, the Holy Spirit will impress 

upon the people’s hearts the need for spiritual renewal. Certain 

common characteristics must be seen in a church when it comes 

to realize the need to change into a multiplying church. We 

see an example of the characteristics of spiritual renewal in 

the nation of ancient Israel. Second Kings 22–23, 2 Chronicles 

29–31, 34, and 35 give accounts of revivals during the


reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah. In each case are five common 

characteristics as the people sought to please God: 

1. The people felt a need to change. They recognized their 

disobedience to God. They realized their need to repent in 

order to serve Him. They desired greater blessing from God. 

2. They sought to learn and to obey God’s Word. The people 

listened to God’s Word and began to understand what they 

should be doing in obedience to God. 

3. The people repented for their unfaithfulness. They were 

truly sorry for their past failures and dedicated themselves 

to greater service to God in the future. 

4. The people sacrificed to do the work of God. They sacrificed 

their time and money in obedient service to God. 

5. The people were unified in spirit, worship, and service. 

They felt a duty to God and to each other. They experienced 

joy and God’s blessing as a result of their unified efforts. 

These same five characteristics will be a part of the change 

when a local church moves toward becoming a multiplying 

church. 

Application 

2 Which statements are TRUE concerning the characteristics 

of spiritual renewal? 

a) A result of spiritual renewal is willingness to sacrifice to do 

God’s work. 

b) Preaching that condemns sin is all that is needed to bring 

spiritual renewal. 

c) Accepting the truth of God’s Word brings recognition of 

one’s unfaithfulness to His commands. 

d) The church body experiences joy in unity and worship as a 

result of spiritual renewal.


193 

Planning for Change 

Objective 3. Identify the basic principles for changing a nonmultiplying 

local church into a growing body of 

believers. 

Each church has different needs and different problems, but 

there are basic principles to follow that will guide you into the 

Holy Spirit’s plan for your church. 

Make a Prayer Plan 

No change for the better in a local church can be brought 

about by human ability alone. The Holy Spirit will guide you in 

each step toward making your church a growing, multiplying 

group of believers. Prayer is absolutely necessary to bring about 

any positive spiritual change in a church. 

Jesus Christ is the head of every local church (Colossians 

1:18). His agent for leading the church is the Holy Spirit. In 

prayer the Holy Spirit will teach you all you need to know for 

your service to the Lord (John 14:26). Empty yourself and your 

desires to the Lord in prayer. He alone can give you the details 

of a plan for a multiplying church. Persist faithfully in prayer, 

even though at first you may be praying alone. Others will join 

you in prayer as your life radiates the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Pray specifically. Teach the believers to pray for specific 

needs. Pray for guidance to the areas that need new churches. 

Pray specifically about the number of new churches your 

church can start. Set regular times for the body of believers to 

come together for prayer. Usually when great church growth 

has occurred it has been preceded by believers joining in hours 

of daily fervent prayer. 

Set Goals 

Pastors who lead multiplying churches know that along 

with prayer, setting goals is important. Specific prayer requires 

specific goals. Scripture supports the concept of setting goals. 

Jesus approached His goal, the Cross, step by step. He said that 

He must do the will of the One who sent Him (John 4:34). His


goal was always before Him because He “‘came to seek and 

to save what was lost’” (Luke 19:10). The apostle Paul was 

goal-directed. He wrote to the Philippians, “But one thing I do: 

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has 

called me” (Philippians 3:13–14). 

Application 

3 Write a brief statement explaining the relationship of specific 

prayer and setting goals. Use your notebook for your answer. 

Goals which are set before the church body will demonstrate 

needs and stimulate enthusiasm for the work of God. For 

goals to be useful to the believers, they must be stated so that 

everyone knows what the aim is and what must happen for the 

goal to be accomplished. A goal such as “preach the gospel to 

the lost” is too indefinite and lacks direction. The following 

are examples of goals set by churches that have grown and 

multiplied: 

— Within the next two months, survey the surrounding 

communities to determine where new churches are needed. 

— Start a new church within walking distance of every 

person in Soon Chum province. 

— Start a new church every eight or ten miles in every 

direction half way to the neighboring churches. 

— Every six weeks train a new group of leaders to help in 

new churches. 

These churches reached their goals because they knew what 

their aim was and they knew when it was attained. 

Share the Vision with Key Leaders 

As you continue to pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit 

in changing your church, share your concerns with key leaders 

who also feel a need for the church to move forward. At first,


195 

do not share everything you want the church to become. Just 

share with them about a single need, asking them to pray about 

the matter. The first change needed may simply be that the 

people learn to love one another more. Or it may be a new area 

that is asking you to send lay leaders. Let these key leaders join 

you in regular prayer for this one area of need. Soon others will 

join in the prayer meetings. Encourage them, but concentrate on 

the key leaders and help their faith develop. 

As faith increases the leaders will want to help meet the 

need and inspire others to do so too. Trust the Holy Spirit 

to lead them. Even if their ideas are different from yours, 

follow any plan they all agree upon, if possible. Be involved 

in the plan, but encourage them to take the responsibilities for 

leadership in the plan. 

Application 

4 In your notebook list three steps that will help a church to 

become a multiplying church and briefly explain the importance 

of each step. 

Implementing Change 

A church that is not multiplying needs spiritual renewal. 

How can we bring change where it is needed and do it 

in a biblical way? Change and spiritual renewal must be 

accomplished in such a way that the majority of the church 

body can agree on what needs to be done. This is the only way 

a church can go forward in unity as a body with Christ as the 

head. The problem in many non-multiplying churches is that 

the Christians really do not understand what the Bible teaches 

about the church. For a church to function as God intended, 

its members must be taught what the Bible teaches concerning 

the responsibilities of the church. Let us look again at the 

responsibilities, the church, and the New Testament principles 

that should be followed in carrying them out.


Evangelize the Unsaved 

Objective 4. List four scriptural principles of evangelism today. 

In Lesson 1 you studied the principles and purposes 

followed by the church as it was founded. The pattern the Holy 

Spirit gave the early church must be understood and practiced 

by the local church today. The principles the body of believers 

should follow in evangelism may be summarized as: 

1. Every body of believers is responsible first to evangelize 

its own community (Acts 1:8). Teach the Christians from 

the Word to know the purpose of the apostles and to follow 

their example. As they understand the directives of the New 

Testament these purposes will become their purposes. 

2. Believers need to evangelize the unsaved where they 

are in the world. Jesus’ parables regarding the Kingdom 

commanded His disciples to “‘go to the street corners’” 

(Matthew 22:9). The apostles preached where the believers 

were gathered (Acts 2:14, 46; 5:25, 42; 17:17). Christians must 

act on the knowledge that their responsibility does not end with 

inviting the unsaved to church. 

3. The primary goal of evangelism in the community must 

be to win adults and therefore households. When adults are won 

there will be steady growth with a strong foundation (Acts 10; 

16:31–33; 16:14–15; 1 Corinthians 1:16). 

4. New believers must be quickly integrated into the church 

body. New Christians need to find their place within the family 

of believers (John 13:35; Acts 2:42; 9:31). And they need to 

be edified, which brings us to the next purpose of the church 

(Ephesians 4:12). 

Application 

5 In your notebook list from memory the four principles 

carried out by the church in evangelizing the unsaved. Read this 

section again if you need to refresh your memory.


197 

6 Read your list again. Put an X in front of the principles that 

are being followed by your church. 

Edify the Believers 

You will remember from Lesson 1 that another purpose of 

the local church is to edify, or build up, the body of believers 

in spiritual knowledge and strength. A local church must learn 

from God’s Word its responsibility for edification of the local 

body as well as the church universal. The responsibility to 

the church universal is a primary motivation for the church to 

become a multiplying church. What must the body of believers 

learn about edification? 

1. Edification is brought about first by a basic knowledge 

and then by an in-depth knowledge of the Word of God. 

Without the means of modern communications how did the 

early church multiply at such a phenomenal rate? We have 

clues throughout the book of Acts. We see over and over again 

that the believers were taught the message of God. Paul and 

Barnabas returned to Lystra to encourage the disciples in their 

faith. Paul spent a whole year teaching in Antioch, a year and 

six months in Corinth (Acts 18:11), and three years in Ephesus 

(Acts 20:31). 

The Word of God is a requirement for spiritual growth. It is 

by learning Bible doctrines that we begin the edifying process. 

Peter said, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so 

that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). 

The apostles taught the converts face to face. Following 

this the young churches were taught further by means of the 

epistles. These letters were written to lead believers into deep 

knowledge of God’s truth. The instruction in written form was 

permanent. It could be studied again and again and circulated 

among many churches. Ultimately, these divinely inspired 

letters provided us with the Word of God, which we can use 

today in the same way it was used in the early church.


Application 

7 (Select the best completion.) The primary purpose of 

edification is that 

a) believers may enjoy fellowship with one another. 

b) the church may be built up in spiritual strength and the 

knowledge of God. 

c) believers may be able to build a better building and attract 

more people. 

2. Believers must have experiences that will lead them 

beyond the knowledge level, and they must be spiritually 

equipped for Christian service. There is a danger that Christians 

will learn the great truths of God’s Word but never move on 

to an active ministry that shows spiritual wisdom, awareness, 

and sensitivity to their position in Christ. How can Christians 

go beyond the knowledge level? Becoming Christian witnesses 

and being involved in evangelism ministry will take them to the 

application level. For Christians must not merely receive the 

truth; they must also have opportunities to minister to others 

and to win unbelievers to Christ. 

Read again Christ’s purpose for the church: 

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some 

to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and 

some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare 

God’s people for works of service, so that the 

body of Christ may be built up until we all 

reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of 

the Son of God and become mature, attaining 

to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 

(Ephesians 4:11–13) 

What is the purpose of teaching and preaching? To prepare 

God’s people for works of service. Why? To build up the body 

of Christ. This body is not just one local church. The body 

of Christ is made up of local churches throughout the world. 

Therefore, the natural result of building up one church will be


199 

the building of other churches. A church that is filled with the 

fervent love of God, love for His Word, and knowledge of His 

Word should also be zealous to take the message of His love to 

the lost world. 

Application 

8 Circle the statements that are TRUE regarding edification. 

a) Edification of believers takes place primarily within the 

church. 

b) To be edified a Christian must go away from home and 

attend Bible school. 

c) Only years of memorizing Bible doctrines will bring about 

edification. 

d) A purpose of edification within the church is to enable 

believers to evangelize the lost. 

e) A person who is saved is also completely edified at the same 

time. 

f) Believers are edified through biblical teaching and a 

thorough study of Scripture. 

Believe for a Multiplying Church 

In this lesson you have studied principles to help your 

church become a multiplying church. Although there is no set 

of rules that will work everywhere, you have learned common 

characteristics of churches which have become multiplying 

churches. Only the Holy Spirit can teach you what actual steps 

will make your church multiply. The time you spend in prayer 

to discover the Holy Spirit’s plan for your church will help you 

become the kind of pastor who can lead a growing church. 

Just as the Holy Spirit has a plan to overcome problems in 

other churches, He has a plan for your church too. As you go to 

the Lord in prayer, remember that the church belongs to Christ; 

therefore there are certain promises in His Word that you can 

claim for yourself and the church.


1. He promises to be with us always as we preach the gospel 

(Matthew 28:20). 

2. He promised to build His church (Matthew 16:18). 

3. He promised to be where believers gather (Matthew 18:20). 

4. He will answer prayer (Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24). 

5. Prayer is powerful and effective (James 5:16). 

6. He loves and cares for the church (Ephesians 2:21–22; 5:25, 29). 

7. The Holy Spirit will guide and teach (John 14:26). 

If there is a key that will unlock the Holy Spirit’s plan for 

your church, it is your own willingness to claim God’s promises 

in prayer and to obey the voice of the Spirit as He leads you. 

Whenever and wherever great churches are founded and 

believers are planting new churches, there is great emphasis on 

private and corporate prayer. 

Application 

9 Read the following verses of Scripture and identify the 

promise you can claim for the church in each. 

a) Matthew 21:22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

b) Matthew 28:20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

c) James 5:16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

d) Matthew 16:18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

e) John 14:26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

f) Ephesians 5:25, 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

If you are a leader in a church that is not multiplying, then 

I am praying for you. I am asking God to help you believe that 

your church can become strong and that the Holy Spirit will 

reveal His plan to help your church grow and multiply.


201 

self-test 

In this self-test we will describe a church that is not multiplying. 

Apply the principles of this lesson to see how it can be helped. 

Part One 

The small town of Joya had one church that had been 

there for 20 years. It usually had an attendance of 

50–80 people. The people used their poverty as an 

excuse for not giving to God’s work. They elected 

John to be their pastor and were happy that he was 

supported by a foreign organization. The church had 

a Sunday school but no other outreach evangelism. 

The members were not faithful teachers, so John 

taught the adult class and his wife taught the children. 

John dismissed the church board soon after he 

became pastor, because members were disinterested 

and he could do the work more efficiently. 

SHORT ANSWER. Answer the following questions based on 

the scenario above. 

1 The principle of self-support was violated in what two ways? 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

2 A self-government principle was violated when 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

3 How do we know the self-propagation principles were not 

followed? 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

4 At least two of the responsibilities to the church body that 

the believers had not learned were 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Part Two 

John preached against the sin of selfishness, but 

the people resented his preaching. John began 

to preach about the joys of giving and God’s 

blessings on those who gave. They resented 

this even more. In desperation, John rose 

early to pray. After a while several concerned 

members joined him. John was faithful in 

prayer and preaching. Then during one service 

the people heard about a man who had starved 

in order to save food for his family. The 

people began to weep. The Holy Spirit swept 

over all the church, convicting the people of 

sin and they repented. They wanted to learn 

and to obey God’s Word. They began to give 

sacrificially to God’s work. 

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Circle the letter of the correct answer 

based on Part Two of the scenario. 

5 The Joya people began to experience spiritual renewal when 

they 

a) elected a new pastor. 

b) realized their need to change and to repent for 

unfaithfulness. 

c) could not persuade more people to attend church. 

6 The people will show their repentance in all of the following 

ways EXCEPT by 

a) desiring to learn and to obey God’s Word. 

b) sacrificing to do God’s work. 

c) sending members to other towns to collect money for the 

poor. 

d) showing a spirit of unity, worship, and service. 

7 To help believers become a multiplying church the pastor will 

a) tell the people they should pray and go into all the world 

and preach the gospel. 

b) lead them in specific prayer plans to attain measurable goals 

agreed upon by the church.


203 

TRUE-FALSE. Place a T in the blank space if the statement 

is TRUE. Write F if it is FALSE. 

. . . 8 The first responsibility of a local church is to take the 

gospel to its own community. 

. . . 9 The best way for believers to win the lost is to urge 

them to come to church to hear the gospel. 

. . . 10 The evangelism of a community will have a stronger 

foundation if the emphasis is on winning adults to 

Christ. 

. . . 11 The primary function of edification is to attract sinners 

to the church. 

. . . 12 God’s people are edified by Christ-centered preaching 

and a thorough study of Scripture. 

. . . 13 The purpose of edification is to prepare believers for 

united service. 

. . . 14 Reviewing and claiming God’s promises is one way we 

can help the church to multiply. 

Be sure to complete your unit student report for Unit 3 and 

return Answer Sheet 3 to your GU instructor.



5 1) Every body of believers is responsible first to evangelize 

its own community. 

2 Believers should take the gospel to the unsaved wherever 

they are and not wait for the unsaved to come to church 

meetings. 

3 A primary goal of evangelism must be to win adults. 

4 New believers must be quickly integrated into the church 

body. 

1 a) The church planter is reluctant to give authority and 

responsibility to members of the church body. 

c) The church members believe it is the pastor’s 

responsibility to evangelize the surrounding 

communities. 

d) Because he is more experienced, the church planter 

makes all decisions regarding the finances and governing 

of the church. 

6 Your answer 

2 a True 

b False 

c True 

d True 

7 b) the church may be built up in spiritual strength and the 

knowledge of God. 

3 Your answer should be similar to this: Setting specific goals 

will enable us to pray specifically. 

8 a) True 

b) False 

c) False 

d) True 

e) False 

f) True


205 

4 Your answer should include in any order: a) Make a prayer 

plan. Through prayer the Holy Spirit will guide and bring 

spiritual change in the church. b) Set goals. One must have 

goals in order to know what to pray for, what to work for, 

and to know when the task has been accomplished. c) Share 

the vision with key leaders. The leaders of the church must 

work and pray together. Also, the vision helps leaders to see 

the need for change. 

9 a) Jesus promised that prayers will be answered. 

b) He promised to be with us always. 

c) That prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 

d) Jesus promised to build His church. 

e) The Holy Spirit will teach and guide. 

f) The Lord loves and cares for the church.


Reference List 

Chant, Bruce. 2007. http://www.desertfather.com/category/ 

church-planting-wisdom (accessed September 5, 2008). 

Cheyney, Tom. 2005. Twenty-Five Pre-Launch Questions for 

the Church Planter. http://www.tomcheyney.com (accessed 

December 1, 2008). 

Foster, Michael. 2007. http://www.desertfather.com/category/ 

church-planting-wisdom (accessed September 3, 2008). 

New Churches. http://www.newchurches.com/model-categories 

(accessed 2007). 

Payne, Matt. http://www.desertfather.com/category/churchplanting-wisdom 

(accessed November 21, 2007). 

________. http://bethanychurchplant.blogspot.com (accessed 

2007). 

Philosophy of Ministry. Sun Valley: Grace Community Church. 

http://www.gracechurch.org/ministries/pom.asp?ministry_ 

id=84 (accessed October 1, 2008). 

Seven Steps for Planting Churches. 2003. Alpharetta, 

GA: North American Mission Board. http://www. 

churchplantingvillage.net (accessed September 12, 2008).

R e f e r e n c e L i s t 

207 

Stetzer, Ed. 2006. Church Planting Bibliography. http:// 

churchplanting4me.com/books.htm (accessed September 13, 

2008). 

________. 2007. Developing the Philosophy of a Church. 

http://churchplanting4me.com/pdf/newchurchphilosphy.pdf 

(accessed September 1, 2008). 

Wagner, Peter C. 1990. Church Planting for a Greater Harvest. 

Ventura: Regal Books.


Glossary 

The right-hand column lists the lesson in the study guide in 

which the word is first used. 

Lesson 

administration— 

the acts of management or 

supervision 

2 

advisory — giving counsel, information, or 

warning 

Aramaic — a Semitic dialect closely related 

to Hebrew 

blatant — in an immoral or offensive 

manner 

by-laws — rules adopted by an 

organization for the regulation 

of its members or the 

organization of its affairs 

campaign — an effort or series of meetings 

designed to bring about a 

particular result 

3 

2 

3 

3 

4 

characteristic — reveals a certain quality 1 

clue — an indication of reliable 

information 

commitment — act of pledging or assigning a 

particular action or trust 

community — a group of people living in a 

particular area usually having 

one or more common interests; 

also may refer to the area 

8 

3 

1

G l o s s a r y 

209 

conduct — a standard of personal behavior 3 

constitution — a written document stating 

the rules and agreements of an 

organization 

conversion — the experience of changing 

from unbelief to faith 

corporate — relating to a unified body of 

individuals 

culture — the customary beliefs, social 

forms, and material traits of a 

racial, religious, or social group 

deacon — a layman selected by a local 

church to serve in worship, 

assist in pastoral care, or on 

administrative committees 

decision — the act or process of coming to 

a choice or judgment 

delegate — to assign responsibility; a person 

acting for another 

discipline — to train or develop by 

instruction; to bring about 

prescribed behavior 

3 

2 

8 

1 

2 

3 

2 

3 

divisive — creating disunity or dissension 2 

doctrinal — relating to fundamental 

principles, teachings, and policies 

of a particular system of belief 

edify — to instruct or improve spiritually 

or in religious knowledge 

elder — one having authority by virtue of 

age and/or experience 

emergency — unforeseen combination of events 

that call for immediate action 

2 

1 

3 

5


empower — to give official authority or 

power 

evangelism — the winning of personal 

commitments to Christ 

1 

1 

evangelize — to preach the gospel with the 

purpose of winning people to 

Christ 

extension 

class 

— a class in a separate 

geographical location from the 

school offering the course 

6 

fellowship — a quality or state of being 

comradely 

1 

fervor — a steady intensity of feeling 4 

finances — the money or resources of a 

person or group; the system of 

using the resources 

flexible — ability to change to new 

situations 

goal — the end toward which an effort 

is made; purpose 

guideline — an indication or outline of policy 

or conduct 

identify — to be or cause to be essentially 

the same; to recognize by a 

characteristic 

implement — to carry out plans; to insure 

actual fulfillment 

integrate — to form or blend what was 

separate into a whole 

interact — to act upon one another; to 

have communication 

2 

2 

4 

1 

1 

8 

1 

4


211 

intercessory 

prayer 

— prayer in which one pleads for 

another, entreaty in favor of 

another 

4 

leadership — the position, quality, or 

capability of guiding or directing 

people and activities 

3 

local — a particular limited area 1 

logical — in accordance with orderly 

reason 

5 

magnetic — the ability to attract or charm 2 

management — the act of supervising or 

directing 

maturity — a quality or state of attaining 

growth and development 

ministry — the act of serving; caring; 

refers to collective ministries of 

believers 

minutes — of official written record of the 

proceedings of a meeting 

mission — a specific task to which a person 

or a group is charged 

multiply — to increase in number greatly by 

each unit adding upon itself 

nurture — to further the development by 

care, attention, or education 

3 

3 

1 

3 

2 

1 

1 

organizational — 

relating to the manner in which 

groups are structured for a 

specific purpose 

2 

outreach — to reach out beyond one’s 

usual limits 

4


parliamentary — the rules and precedents 

rules 

governing the proceedings of a 

business meeting 

3 

pattern — a model proposed for imitation 1 

persist — to go on stubbornly or resolutely 

in spite of opposition or warning 

personality — an individual’s distinguishing 

character traits, attitudes, and 

habits 

practical — proven useful; proved effective 

in use 

prejudice — an adverse judgment or opinion 

without just grounds or sufficient 

knowledge 

principle — a fundamental truth, doctrine, 

or law upon which others are 

based 

propagate — to cause to spread out; to 

increase in greater numbers 

recognition — the acknowledgment of having 

certain rights or the right to be 

heard 

8 

2 

5 

4 

1 

4 

3 

renewal — the act of making new spiritually 8 

reproduce — to cause to make again; to 

make others like itself 

2 

resident 

school 

— a school which provides a 

period of study for students 

in which the students live on 

the premises or nearby while 

attending classes 

6 

resource — a source of supply or support 8


213 

responsibility — 

the quality of being able to 

answer for one’s conduct and 

obligations; the ability to choose 

between right and wrong 

3 

revival — the act of giving new life or 

vigor 

ritual — the established form or 

prescribed words of a ceremony 

role — an expected behavior pattern 

determined by an individual’s 

status 

sanctity — to set apart for sacred purposes; 

to be free from sin 

self-governing— 

selfpropagating 

selfsupporting 

to administer one’s own policy; 

to control or rule oneself 

— to produce or make products 

like or similar to oneself 

— meeting one’s own needs by 

one’s own efforts 

seminar — a group of students studying 

a specific subject under a 

teacher, usually involving 

discussion and exchanging 

reports 

8 

2 

1 

2 

3 

3 

3 

6 

short-term 

school 

— a school occurring over a short 

period of time to meet special 

needs 

6 

spiritual — related to the God-conscious 

element in the human being 

stewardship — the office or the responsibility to 

manage another’s property 

strategic — important for the accomplishment 

of a planned effect 

2 

5 

2


supernatural — relating to God; that which is 

beyond the laws of nature 

suspend — to set aside temporarily from an 

office, a function, or a privilege 

systematic — a methodical procedure or a 

plan marked by thoroughness 

and regularity 

Talmud — the written authority of Jewish 

laws and traditions 

temperate — moderate, not extreme or 

excessive 

2 

3 

2 

2 

6 

tithe — a one-tenth part of something 5 

universal — present or occurring everywhere 1 

violation — the act of breaking laws or 

established rules 

8


215


Answers to Self-Tests 

Lesson 1 

1 b) preach in open air services, then gather new believers for 

teaching. 

2 a) scripturally based on divine authority. 

3 c) John preaches at a village even after the heathen people 

have burned the new church building. 

4 b) in the church body. 

5 a) John allows every member to participate in church 

ministries according to his ability. 

6 d) hearing the Word of God. 

7 False 

8 False 

9 True 

10 False 

11 True 

12 True 

Lesson 2 

1 b) proclaiming the redemptive purposes of God to all 

peoples. 

2 c) they received the power of the Holy Spirit. 

3 b) proclaiming that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus 

were in direct fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. 

4 e) the statements in a) and b). 

5 a) the apostles did not reject anyone for his background, but 

presented salvation only by faith in Christ. 

6 c) All church functions were planned and directed by the 

head apostle, Peter.

A n s w e r s t o S e l f - Te s t s 217 

7 c) acceptable to those they lead. 

8 b) authorized delegates reported to the churches, or written 

reports sent to them concerning decisions made. 

9 c) A man should divorce his unbelieving wife. 

10 d) demonstrating that all disciples are co-laborers together 

for Christ. 

11 b) combine partial scriptural truth with false teaching. 

12 a) building a firm faith in the person and work of Jesus 

Christ. 

Lesson 3 

1 c) establish the church for future growth. 

2 a) to build a self-supporting, self-propagating church. 

3 b) train local leaders, leave them in charge, then make 

occasional visits. 

4 a) promote growth of spiritual ministries and respect for its 

own leaders. 

5 b) have a basis of fellowship and prevent doctrinal error or 

controversy. 

6 c) restore the member to a right relationship with God. 

7 c) The pastor does not vary from his discussion list. 

8 b) prevent unworthy persons from becoming members. 

9 True 

10 False 

11 False 

12 False 

13 True 

14 True 

15 True 

16 False


Lesson 4 

1 True 

2 False. All are commanded to evangelize and teach. 

3 True 

4 False. The first step is prayer. 

5 False. All Christians should be involved. 

6 True 

7 False. Outdoor evangelism can be effective wherever it can 

be used. 

8 False. Plans should be flexible. 

9 c) Plan prayer into all the work schedule. 

10 b) bring hearers to a decision to confess Christ as their 

savior. 

11 a) believers who are committed to Christ and brought 

together as a body for teaching and fellowship. 

12 b) enlarged ministry and fellowship in the body of Christ 

Lesson 5 

1 False 

2 False 

3 False 

4 True 

5 True 

6 False 

7 False 

8 True


9 True 

10 c) a guide for systematic giving to God’s work. 

11 b) a finance committee oversees the use and safe keeping, 

the recording and correct reporting of the use of church 

funds. 

12 b) Mary is happy to give regular offerings even though her 

income is small. 

13 a) unlimited growth since it does not depend on outside 

resources. 

14 d) to give greater skill in fund raising. 

Lesson 6 

1 b) to insure the stability, continuity and expansion of the 

ministry of the church. 

2 c) will cause discontent and limit the growth of the church. 

3 b) are specifically stated in Scripture and are applicable to 

all times and culture. 

4 a) workers who learn by doing the task. 

5 a) Every believer has a part in taking the gospel of Christ to 

the lost. 

6 d) spiritual preparation. 

7 b) faithfulness is a quality of character seen under all 

circumstances. 

8 b) encouragement to exercise their gift of ministry and 

opportunities to do so. 

9 c) One can receive a Bible degree in less time at a shortterm 

school. 

10 a 4) Of good reputation 

b 5) Mature Christian 

c 1) Self-controlled 

d 5) Mature Christian 

e 2) Hospitable 

f 3) Not greedy


Lesson 7 

1 True 

2 a) a set of unchangeable principles that guide the life of the 

church. 

3 c) If the leadership team does not define what the church 

believes, someone else will. 

4 True 

5 True 

6 c) we should seek God to find His will and participate in 

that. 

7 True 

8 c) after the planter has formed a core group of believers. 

9 False 

10 b) is effective as more cultures today are visual and 

technological. 

Lesson 8 

1 The people did not give tithes and offerings to the church. 

The pastor was supported only by outside funds. 

2 John dismissed the church board. 

3 The church had not grown in 20 years, and there was no 

outreach evangelism. 

4 To give offerings to support the church; to take leadership in 

the church either in teaching or as board members. 

5 b) realized their need to change and to repent for 

unfaithfulness. 

6 c) sending members to other towns to collect money for the 

poor. 

7 b) lead them in specific prayer plans to attain measurable 

goals agreed upon by the church. 

8 True


9 False 

10 True 

11 False 

12 True 

13 True 

14 True


Starting New 


UNIT STUDENT REPORTS 

AND 

ANSWER SHEETS 

DIRECTIONS 

When you have completed your study of each unit, fill 

out the unit student report answer sheet for that unit. The 

following are directions how to indicate your answer to each 

question. There are two kinds of questions: TRUE-FALSE and 

MULTIPLE-CHOICE. 

TRUE-FALSE QUESTION EXAMPLE 

The following statement is either true or false. If the statement 

is 

TRUE, blacken space A. 

FALSE, blacken space B. 

1. The Bible is God’s message for us. 

The above statement, The Bible is God’s message for us, is 

TRUE, so you would blacken space A like this: 

1 

B C D

U n i t S t u d e n t R e p o r t s 223 

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION EXAMPLE 

There is one best answer for the following question. Blacken 

the space for the answer you have chosen. 

2. To be born again means to 

a) be young in age. 

b) accept Jesus as Savior. 

c) start a new year. 

d) find a different church. 

The correct answer is b) accept Jesus as Savior, so you would 

blacken space B like this: 

2 

A C D


Student Report for Unit One 

Answer all questions on Answer Sheet for Unit One. See the 

examples on the DIRECTIONS page which show you how to 

mark your answers. 

PART 1—TRUE-FALSE QUESTIONS 

The following statements are either true or false. If the 

statement is 



1 I have carefully read all of the lessons in Unit One. 

2 Christians should take the gospel to their own community 

first. 

3 Evangelistic services to reach the unsaved is the primary 

purpose of the local church body. 

4 Churches multiply under preaching based on divine 

authority. 

5 The gospel must be taken to unbelievers out in the world 

where they live. 

6 Preaching against idolatry is the biblical way to win the lost. 

7 Ministry gifts of healing are used only within the church 

body. 

8 Teaching is a ministry gift used primarily within the church. 

PART 2—MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS 

There is one best answer for each of the following questions. 

Blacken the space on your answer sheet for the answer you 

have chosen. 

9 Preaching the gospel in spite of persecution is a result of 

a) a strong personality. 

b) the anointing of the Holy Spirit. 

c) not following God’s leading. 

d) an indication to preach elsewhere.


10 The church planter’s message must be Bible-based and 

a) socially acceptable. 

b) Christ-centered. 

c) authoritative. 

d) forceful. 

11 The primary mission of the church may be defined as 

a) starting a church in my community. 

b) sending Christian workers to every nation. 

c) establishing Bible schools to train pastors. 

d) proclaiming the redemptive purposes of God to the 

world. 

12 Ministry gifts are given to all members of the body of Christ 

a) but only certain leaders may actively use the gifts. 

b) to attract unbelievers by the working of miracles. 

c) to build up the body of Christ and prepare members for 

service. 

d) primarily for prophetic preaching. 

13 Faith received by hearing the Word is one aspect of the 

a) work of the Holy Spirit in church planting. 

b) planning of the church planter. 

c) work of the pastor in a new church. 

d) church planter’s responsibility in evangelism. 

14 Organizational structure of a church should be developed 

a) when the church has a board of deacons. 

b) according to a pattern established by a neighboring 

church. 

c) to meet the needs of the church. 

d) as evidence that the pastor is an effective leader. 

15 The New Testament pattern of church financing is that 

a) regular giving is an act of worship and love. 

b) every member gives ten percent of his income to the 

church. 

c) a finance committee agrees on a budget for the church. 

d) the pastor describes the needs and asks for offerings.


16 Churches usually multiply more quickly when planted 

a) among people of a similar religion. 

b) in a small, friendly town. 

c) near large schools. 

d) in strategic cities. 

17 The primary purpose of an administrative church council is 

to 

a) establish the rules and policies of the church. 

b) promote unity of the church body. 

c) grant ordination to pastors. 

d) control the election of church officials. 

18 To prevent personality divisions in church leadership it is 

wise to 

a) limit pastoral ministry to two years at one church. 

b) avoid designating any one person as a leader. 

c) demonstrate that all believers are co-laborers with Christ. 

d) pray for humility. 

19 Believers are protected from false teachers when they 

a) study God’s Word and have a firm faith in Christ. 

b) hear various opinions and make their own decisions. 

c) memorize a statement of faith. 

d) listen to the teaching of only one pastor. 

20 A purpose of the letters to the Galatians and the Corinthians 

is to refute false doctrine and 

a) warn the believers to fear other teachers. 

b) build understanding and faith in the person and work of 

Christ. 

c) require believers to follow Paul’s teaching. 

d) prepare young pastors for ordination. 

END OF REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIT ONE. Follow the 

remaining instructions on your answer sheet and return it to 

your GU instructor or office in your area, then begin your study 

of Unit Two.


Student Report for Unit Two 

Answer all questions on Answer Sheet for Unit Two. See the 





statement is 



1 I have carefully read all of the lessons in Unit Two. 

2 Self-governing churches’ main goal is to recognize the 

ability of the local church members. 

3 Self-government is needed early in the life of the church. 

4 A church naturally becomes smaller as it self-propagates. 

5 Open air evangelism is a method useful only in large cities. 

6 A self-propagating church is one that plants new churches. 

7 New Testament teaching indicates that all churches can be 

self-supporting. 

8 Church financial reports need to be given only to the pastor. 




have chosen. 

9 Self-government is the foundation needed for 

a) a self-propagating, self-supporting church. 

b) the development of community leadership. 

c) a cooperative fellowship. 

d) recognition by civil authorities.


10 Paul established self-governing churches by 

a) calling trained leaders from Jerusalem. 

b) requiring monthly reports from each new church. 

c) training and giving responsibility to local leaders. 

d) appointing a board of deacons in every church. 

11 Early self-government is needed primarily to 

a) prevent friction among candidate leaders. 

b) promote local leadership and spiritual growth. 

c) free the church planter for other ministries. 

d) encourage leadership talents in local members. 

12 Agreement on doctrinal standards is a first step in selfgovernment 

needed for 

a) cooperation with other churches. 

b) the appointment of the best leadership in the new church. 

c) effective evangelistic work for surrounding areas. 

d) the prevention of doctrinal error and promotion of unity. 

13 Self-government must include discipline of members in 

order to 

a) protect the reputation of the church. 

b) prevent sin in the church. 

c) establish a standard of conduct for the church members. 

d) restore an erring member to a right relationship with 

God. 

14 A self-propagating church will have as its primary goal the 

a) teaching of a body of believers who are committed to 

Christ. 

b) bringing of many people to hear the gospel. 

c) evangelism of all the surrounding communities. 

d) establishment of a standard of faith. 

15 The primary benefit realized by a self-propagating church is 

a) the increased fellowship of many members. 

b) being a good example to daughter churches. 

c) its spiritual strengthening in ministry and fellowship. 

d) its enlarged vision for the needs of the world.


16 To plant new churches the mother church must first 

a) determine the best locations for new churches. 

b) find people who are ready to receive the gospel. 

c) schedule prayer into all the planning. 

d) train teams of reliable workers. 

17 Self-support gives a church the advantage of 

a) independence from accounting to others. 

b) freedom from dependency and limitations of growth. 

c) demonstration of fund raising ability. 

d) no foreign influence. 

18 Correct management of church finances includes 

a) the sole authority of the pastor to spend the money. 

b) a finance committee who oversees safekeeping, 

recording, and reporting of funds. 

c) a bank account with emergency funds. 

d) regular fund raising programs. 

19 New believers should be taught 

a) to give exactly ten percent of their income to the church. 

b) not to be concerned about financial needs. 

c) the responsibility, joy, and blessing of giving to God’s 

work. 

d) to share their possessions with other believers. 

20 A self-supporting church will have greater growth for the 

following reasons. Which one is NOT true? 

a) Donors in other areas will want to assist the church. 

b) The members feel a greater responsibility to the church. 

c) The pastor and members feel a mutual concern for the 

ministry. 

d) There is growth in spiritual maturity. 

END OF REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIT TWO. Follow the 


your GU instructor or office in your area, then begin your study 

of Unit Three.


Student Report for Unit Three 

Answer all questions on Answer Sheet for Unit Three. See the 





statement is 



1 I have carefully read all of the lessons in Unit Three. 

2 Leaders within the church promote stability and continuity. 

3 Jesus used on-the-job training methods. 

4 Qualifications for church leaders vary according to abilities. 

5 A good leader will teach others to lead. 

6 The church planting team should have a clearly defined 

target group. 

7 Church planters must not build relationships with the 

community. 

8 The only purpose of edification is to attract the unsaved. 




have chosen. 

9 A church planter trains local leaders by 

a) doing all the work himself to set a good example. 

b) showing the work of well-trained leaders from another 

church. 

c) helping the members develop their abilities. 

d) giving responsibility to the person of greatest ability.


10 Qualifications for church leaders 

a) will depend on local cultural standards. 

b) are too rigid for all but very mature Christians. 

c) are stated in Scripture and apply to all cultures. 

d) will vary according to educational level of the people. 

11 The first requirement for training church leaders is 

a) intellectual preparation. 

b) practical experience. 

c) administrative preparation. 

d) spiritual preparation. 

12 The qualities required of a deacon can be measured by 

a) the number of hours he works at his job. 

b) his reactions to daily life situations. 

c) the regularity of his church attendance. 

d) his faithfulness in paying tithes. 

13 Does a believer need to be specifically called to plant a 

church or is the need the call? 

a) The believer must be specifically called by God to plant 

a church. 

b) The need is the call. 

c) Anyone can plant a new church. 

14 A philosophy of ministry is 

a) a blend of philosophy and theology. 

b) the way the church planters feel about church life. 

c) a set of unchangeable principles that guide the life of the 

church. 

15 Because the process of church planting is so complex the 

author recommends that 

a) church planters work alone. 

b) church planters form a team. 

c) new churches be started only by experienced church 

planters.


16 What is the first step in the church planting process? 

a) Receive a ministry vision from God 

b) Rent a building in which to hold services 

c) Raise money for the project 

17 A multiplying church will practice the concepts of 

a) self-identity, self-government, and self-education. 

b) self-government, self-satisfaction, and self-discipline. 

c) self-propagation, self-support, and self-identity. 

d) self-government, self-propagation, and self-support. 

18 Church self-government is evidenced by 

a) the submission of the members and the pastor. 

b) the responsible participation of the members in 

ministries. 

c) adequate offerings to support the pastor. 

d) an active church board. 

19 A non-multiplying church can experience spiritual renewal 

by 

a) learning and obeying God’s purpose for the church. 

b) studying books on effective church growth. 

c) remorse over their failure to obey the Scripture. 

d) listening more faithfully to the pastor’s teaching. 

20 Which of the following is a hindrance to church growth? 

a) the church planter gives responsibility to the members. 

b) a daughter church relies on its own resources. 

c) The pastor makes all the difficult decisions. 

d) New believers participate in evangelism. 

END OF REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIT THREE. Follow the 


your GU instructor or office in your area. This completes your 

study of this course. Ask your instructor to recommend another 

course of study for you.

A n s w e r S h e e t s 

233 

CS4241 Starting New Churches 

Cut this page and send to your GU instructor 

Congratulations on finishing your study of the lessons in Unit 1! 

Please fill in all the blanks below. 

Your Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Your GU Student Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

(Leave blank if you do not know what it is.) 

Your Mailing Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Province/State . . . . . . . . . . . Postal/Zip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Occupation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Age . . . . . . . Sex . . . . . . 

Are you married? . . . . How many members are in your family? . . 

How many years have you studied in school? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Are you a member of a church? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

If so, what is the name of the church? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

What responsibility do you have in your church? . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

How are you studying this course: Alone? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

In a group? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

What other GU courses have you studied? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Answer Sheet for Unit One 

Blacken the correct space for each numbered item. For all 

questions, be sure the number beside the spaces on the answer 

sheet is the same as the number of the question. 

1 

A B C D 

8 

A B C D 

15 A B C D 

2 

A B C D 

9 

A B C D 

16 A B C D 

3 

A B C D 

10 A B C D 17 A B C D 

4 

A B C D 

11 A B C D 18 A B C D 

5 

A B C D 

12 A B C D 19 A B C D 

6 

A B C D 

13 A B C D 20 A B C D 

7 

A B C D 

14 A B C D 

Write below any questions you would like to ask your instructor 

about the lessons. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Now look over this student report answer sheet to be sure you 

have completed all the questions. Then return it to your GU instructor 

or office in your area. The address should be stamped 

on the copyright page near the front of your study guide. 

For GU Office Use Only 

Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

GU Christian Service Program


235 



We hope you have enjoyed your study of the lessons in Unit 2! 


Your Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 




. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 


Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Answer Sheet for Unit Two 




1 

A B C D 

8 

A B C D 

15 A B C D 

2 

A B C D 

9 

A B C D 

16 A B C D 

3 

A B C D 

10 A B C D 17 A B C D 

4 

A B C D 

11 A B C D 18 A B C D 

5 

A B C D 

12 A B C D 19 A B C D 

6 

A B C D 

13 A B C D 20 A B C D 

7 

A B C D 

14 A B C D 



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 






Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 



237 



We hope you have enjoyed your study of the lessons in Unit 3! 


Your Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 




. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 


Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Answer Sheet for Unit Three 




1 

A B C D 

8 

A B C D 

15 A B C D 

2 

A B C D 

9 

A B C D 

16 A B C D 

3 

A B C D 

10 A B C D 17 A B C D 

4 

A B C D 

11 A B C D 18 A B C D 

5 

A B C D 

12 A B C D 19 A B C D 

6 

A B C D 

13 A B C D 20 A B C D 

7 

A B C D 

14 A B C D 



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 






Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 


R e q u e s t f o r I n f o r m a t i o n 

239 


Your Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 




. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 


Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION 

The GU office in your area will be happy to send you 

information about other GU courses that are available and their 

cost. You may use the space below to ask for that information. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Invitation to Accept Jesus Christ as 

Lord and Savior 

Becoming a Christian and receiving the gift of eternal life is 

a choice you make. God has done everything possible to open 

the door to heaven for you. Jesus suffered a cruel death on the 

Cross, taking the punishment we rightfully deserved, so that the 

very worst of sinners can now be fully forgiven and receive the 

gift of eternal life. 

To receive this gift, you need to admit that you are a sinner 

and ask God to forgive you of all the evil deeds you have done. 

You need to trust in and take Jesus Christ into your life as your 

Lord and Savior. 

If you are ready to receive Jesus, say this prayer now and 

mean it from your heart: 

Dear Father in heaven, I recognize today that I 

have sinned against you, and it is my desire to 

turn away from my sins from this day forward. 

Please forgive me. I also believe You sent Your 

Son, Jesus Christ, to die in my place on the 

cross and that He rose from the dead on the 

third day. I receive Him today as my Lord and 

Savior by faith and will live for Him the rest of 

my life. Please change my life and make your 

presence known in me. I ask this in Jesus’ holy 

name, Amen.

R e s p o n s e P a g e 

241 


RESPONSE PAGE 

Please write in BLOCK letters: 

Your Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Post Office Box: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Street 

Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

City: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

State/Province: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Postal or Zip Code: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Country: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

E-mail address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

1. Were you a Christian, having understood God’s plan of 

salvation and accepted Jesus as your Savior, before starting 

this course? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

2. Did you accept Jesus Christ as a result of studying these 

lessons? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

3. Do you belong to a local church? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . If so, 

what church? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

4. Would you like to have an address of a local church in your 

area? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

5. Would you like to have information about other courses like 

this that you can study? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Congratulations on having finished this 

Christian Service course. Send this sheet 

to your national Global University office if 

indicated or local church study center or 

Global University’s international headquarters 

in Springfield, MO, USA (address shown on the 

back cover). 

May God bless you as you love and serve Him.

243 

SEND US THE NAMES AND 

ADDRESSES OF YOUR FRIENDS 

We will send them Lesson 1 of our evangelism booklet 

“The Great Questions of Life.” 

Print Clearly 

Last Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

First Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Mailing Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Province or State ` . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Zip or Postal Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Last Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

First Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 



Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Last Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

First Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 



Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Last Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

First Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 



Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Last Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

First Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 



Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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